Along the Other Road
by T. R. Myers
Summary: What happened to Dudley after he and Harry parted ways in the Deathly Hallows? While Harry was hunting horcruxes, the Dursleys were being protected by the Order, and the Death Eaters weren't about to lose such valuable hostages.
1. Along the Other Road

Stars dotted the night sky. The inky blue night was glowing because the lights of the heavily populated regions of England. Only a few stars could be seen. Dudley Dursley could remember a trip to the country and looking up in the night sky to see a dazzling display that just couldn't be found on Privet Drive. He never really cared until that night; the night the stars went out. He couldn't see what had seized his wrists, but he could feel them. He remembered Harry shouting to cover his mouth. Then there was a silver-white light and the cold left and the stars returned. Dudley had believed he would never see the stars again; that the last thing he would know was that impenetrable blackness.

Harry Potter had saved Dudley's life and had never asked for a word of thanks. When the morning came, he, his mother and father, and Harry would prepare to leave this house and go to safety with the Order of the Phoenix, from a man so terrible, wizards and witches dreaded even his name. This evil man who used the name Voldemort, killed regular people for sport, Dudley knew. This man had tried to kill Harry as a child and had failed and he was still trying to kill Harry. Then Dudley remembered something long forgotten, how one can not think of something for years but suddenly recall a vivid detail: the giant Hagrid had said, "Nobody lived once You-Know-Who decided ter kill 'em, 'cept you, Harry."

Harry had fought this horrible man again and beat him, and a second time, and a third time, and a fourth: five times Harry had survived the Dark Lord. Somehow, he had found time to rescue Dudley Dursley, the child who bullied his cousin from the time they met, who had been raised to deride and ridicule his cousin. Dudley had thought hard about Harry for more than a year, now. Dudley shuddered with tears of shame when he was forced to come to the inescapable conclusion that Harry always had been the better man.

Dudley wished he could say to Harry's face how sorry he was, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He felt like a coward. He didn't tell Harry, choosing to take advantage of the fact that Harry always shut himself in his room when he wasn't at Hogwarts or away spending his summer holidays with his friends, obviously much better friends than Dudley had. Dudley had always tormented Harry with his father's encouragement, had watched Harry eat scraps while Dudley was well fed, had learned that Harry was worth less than one of Aunt Marge's dogs, and that didn't sit right with Dudley anymore. Maybe he was growing up.

It occurred to Dudley that many people who grow up bullies, continued to be so as an adult and he could no longer deny that he was a bully. Not since Harry had saved his life and he had been forced to re-examine the way he had treated Harry all his life. Dudley didn't want to be that person. He didn't like that Harry hated him. He didn't like that his family treated Harry like a waste of space. Maybe, just maybe, Professor Dumbledore had been right about the damage Dudley had sustained in his upbringing. What was probably the most important point, was that Dudley didn't want to be a bad person.

Morning rolled around all too soon. Dudley hadn't slept at all. His mother could be heard in her normal routine, rattling around the kitchen. Instead of waiting for her to come and get him, Dudley got up, dressed and went downstairs. His mother had made his usual massive breakfast of eggs, sausage, bacon, toast and marmalade. Dudley didn't have much of an appetite this morning, which worried his mother. He ate two eggs and a sausage and pushed the rest away.

"Diddykins," said Petunia, "We have a very big day today and you're going to need your strength." She rushed up Dudley, clearly fawning over her son, who had grown quite broad shouldered and had turned most of his fat into muscle.

"I'm just not that hungry this morning."

"Oh, I understand completely my ickle Diddykins, and it's not your fault. We won't be gone forever. You'll be having tea with your little friends in no time." Petunia smiled sympathetically. "I know. It's hard to be," her smile fell into a harsh expression in which her jaw worked furiously, "forced to leave your home." Her eyes were focused on the vague distance as though recalling something slimy that she had difficulty scrubbing. Her congenial expression returned. "Everything is going to be okay, Sweetums."

At that moment, Vernon came down the stairs. He was looking quite pale and looked as though he had swallowed a basketball. "Dudders, finished your breakfast?"

"Our little angel isn't hungry."

"I don't blame him. The situation that Potter's created for us would make anyone sick. If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times, 'We should have marched that good for nothing-'"

"He's not good for nothing!" Dudley said forcibly. He took a cup of tea. "I'm going to go pack." Without another word, he went upstairs.

He knocked at Harry's door and said, "Harry, breakfast is ready downstairs. I brought you some tea to start with." There was no answer. "I'll just leave it here."

Dudley went to his room and began to pack his cloths. He wasn't interested in returning to being morbidly obese again, so he put his weights on the bed. In an hour, he had packed his weights, his cloths, and had put his Gameboy Color in his tote so he could take it out in the car. He hauled it all out to the car and went back into his room to see if he had missed anything. He heard the tinkle of breaking china in the hall followed by Harry swearing loudly. Dudley cringed. Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to leave the tea there.

Seeing that he had all of his essentials packed, Dudley went back downstairs where his mother and father were waiting impatiently. His father, as portly as Dudley had once been-though Dudley was still just as massive-was wearing his travel coat and his mother looked, as usual, as if she were on her way to church. The time passed with another argument between Harry and Vernon. Dudley's father was having a hard time with the notion of leaving and putting his life in the hands of wizards and witches.

By the time the argument was resolved however, Hestia Jones and Dedalus Diggle had already arrived. Harry had found Vernon's reaction to Diggle's pocket watch quite amusing. Hestia's indignation towards Vernon and Petunia's indifference to Harry's plight only served refresh Dudley's feelings of shame.

Harry was saying, "They think I'm a waste of space, actually, but I'm used to-"

"I don't think you're a waste of space," said Dudley.

Harry looked back at Dudley with a bemused expression. Dudley could see that his cousin was thinking very hard.

"Well...er...thanks, Dudley."

Dudley needed to say it. He had waited to long and this was his last chance. "You saved my life."

"Not really. It was your soul the dementors would have taken..." but Harry was looking at Dudley as though he had never seen him before.

As everyone said their farewells, and the Dursleys left with Hestia and Dedalus, Dudley smiled inwardly. If the dementors had blown a new personality into him, as Harry suggested, then it was for the better. Dudley was sure of it. Dudley climbed into the back seat with his mother, Dedalus between them, while Hestia sat in the front passenger seat. Dudley's father glanced nervously back to the bulge in Dedalus' waistcoat once more before cranking the engine and backing out of the driveway.

Once Vernon had pulled down Magnolia Crescent and exiting onto the main road, Hestia began giving driving directions. As they drove, Hestia looked sharply out the window as something long and slender hit the ground and was buried halfway in.

"Stop the car," she said forcibly, opening the door barely waiting for the vehicle to come to a complete stop.

Dudley looked in the mirror and saw his father's face turning a blotchy shade of puce. He was clearly annoyed by the delay. Hestia returned with a broomstick, her face ashen gray, panicked, and looking frightfully into the sky.

Hestia called out, "The sky is full of Death Eaters."

"That broomstick," said Dedalus as Hestia climbed in with the Firebolt, "it's not Harry's?"

"Of all of the Order, he's the only one that owns a Firebolt." She directed Vernon to drive again.

"How did they know? Who knew we were moving Harry tonight?"

"Only the people directly involved in the plan."

Vernon had finally lost patience. "If you don't mind, would one of you ruddy well tell me what you're on about?"

Hestia said, "Harry's guard is under attack, and if they don't get Harry, they're bound to come after us."

Vernon's face, which had deepened to a shade of purple, suddenly lost all color. His mustache began to twitch on one side. He was muttering. Dudley caught things like, "Should have known..." and, "This is what decent people get..." and, "Leave it to your lot..."

This was more than Hestia could stand. "Just what is that supposed to mean?" she roared. "You can't even light a bloody pipe without a match!"

"That's rich from someone who doesn't even know how to drive!"

"Well at least I don't have to plug something in every time I want something done!"

"Now," said Dedalus in a placating voice, "we should all at least try to get along."

Vernon and Hestia both turned around and shouted simultaneously, "You stay out of it!"

Petunia was sitting rigid with eyes as wide as saucers. Dudley, on other hand, found the exchange quite amusing. His father seemed to have met his match in Hestia Jones.

"...Absolute disregard for the welfare of your son's very own flesh and blood!" Hestia raged.

"...No consideration whatsoever for normal people and their own needs!" Vernon roared.

"Yes, while we take precious time out of our lives to make sure a no-good, brainless git like yourself doesn't end up werewolf meat. How inconsiderate of me!"

"I wouldn't be in danger if your lot would have stayed off my doorstep sixteen years ago!" Vernon's roars seemed to shake the vehicle. Petunia's face was screwed up in a tight grimace, simply waiting for the storm to pass.

"If it hadn't been for our lot, no, if it hadn't been for your own nephew, you wouldn't have had a doorstep sixteen years ago! You'd be dead! That's what Harry Potter did for you and that's what he's doing now!"

Hestia seemed to have had the last word. Vernon might have simply realized what was being done for him, but Dudley knew better. He knew that the only reason his father had stopped shouting was because he couldn't think of anymore insults.

"These friendly excursions are so nice," said Dedalus, weakly.

They drove for another hour in uneasy silence. Dudley finally pulled out his Gameboy and Dedalus was immediately alight with curiosity. Dudley was almost sorry he had pulled it out as he now found himself explaining all about the history of video games, how they worked (without magic), and even trying to muddle through what their purpose was. Dedalus asked very deep questions that Dudley felt he wasn't bright enough to adequately answer. How was he supposed to know what video games were for? They were fun.

Hestia turned back and said, "Dedalus, are you paying any mind to what's behind us?"

"It's a man on a motorcycle," said Dedalus, impatiently and turned back to Dudley's game.

"It's a man on a motorcycle that's been following us since we went through Wycomb."

Dudley looked back and saw, not very far off, a man on the road behind them. His long hair blew back in the wind and his face had mean, flattened look to it, as if he spent a great deal of time being pummeled by cricket bats. He wore a heavy, black leather jacket and matching chaps.

Hestia said, "Turn here and let's see what he does."

"What's it all about? We haven't done anything," Vernon said, becoming quite alarmed.

"Just turn."

Vernon did as he was told and the motorcyclist followed. "They only want to know where the boy is! If you tell them, we won't have anything to worry about."

"Shut it." Hestia was looking out the passenger wing mirror. "We're not far from where we're going. It's protected, but I don't want them following us all the way the enchantment's perimeter."

"So sorry. I don't drive like a maniac! I don't know how to lose him!"

"You needn't bother. You'd never lose a Death Eater."

Dedalus now looked in the rear view mirror. The man must have realized that he had been spotted because he fell back several paces. Soon, he was out of sight. Just as Hestia sighed with relief and began instructing Vernon on how to get back on course, something hit the back of the car, hard.

Vernon roared, "NOT MY TAILLAMPS!"

Two people flying brooms appeared on either side of the car. The door windows shattered as stunners hit them with full force. Hestia's wand was out and she returned several red jets of light to the flier on her side of the vehicle. Dedalus leaned over Dudley and began casting stunners to the other flier. Vernon was shouting incomprehensibly over the commotion and the car was swerving to and fro.

Hestia took aim at one of the Death Eater's brooms and shouted, "Finite incantatum!" The Death Eater, a muscular woman with face reminiscent of a horse hit the ground with bone-crunching force. She bounced several times, hitting the pavement quite hard and finally sliding to a halt. For as long as Dudley could see her, she didn't move again. A jet of red light hit the hood of the car. Everyone became painfully aware of the loss of speed, despite the fact that Vernon's giant foot was pounding the accelerator.

Dedalus said, "Hestia, we need to get word that we're stuck and fighting!"

Hestia pointed her wand in the direction of distant trees and shouted, "Expecto Patronum!" A silvery-white dolphin burst from her wand and sped off. The car finally coasted to a stop. Hestia wasted no time. Diving from the car, she let lose a flurry of curses in the direction of the remaining flier, who Dudley could now see was a burly man with blond hair. The man on the motorcycle reappeared and joined the attack. Now Dedalus was out of the car, shouting curses. Hestia, for the most part, was silent. Dudley suspected she was a more talented spell caster than Dedalus, who often tripped over his incantations, but managed to make the motorcycle man do a kind of tap dance, and the flier spin around in circles for several moments.

From out in the distance, the woman could be seen running to the scene. As she got closer, Dudley saw she was limping badly. The rear window shattered as another of the red jets hit it and one of the Death Eaters shouted, "Avada kedavra!" A green light soared by, missing Hestia by a hair's breadth. The woman finally caught up and began shouting curses. Dedalus calmed down over time and now muttered each of his spells without error. Two red jets hit the woman squarely in the chest. She was thrown off of her feet and did not get up again.

There was a roar in the distance and Dudley looked back to see what was happening. From the other direction, a very old school bus, heavily graffiti-ed, was coming down the street. It came to a halt by the car. The Death Eaters looked at it wearily. The doors opened and another woman in a white tee shirt and blue jeans leapt from it firing a volley of curses at the Death Eaters and stumbling out behind her was an older gentlemen. He had white-blond hair that wasn't overlong, but looked as if he were several weeks overdue for a haircut. He had an elegant jaw, narrow and pointed, and a long, but handsome nose, and he appeared to be quite drunk. His purple robes swished as he fired curses at the Death Eaters.

The two standing Death Eaters were forced back and realizing they were outmatched, they grabbed their stunned companion, each under one arm, and disapparated. The two wizards and two witches looked back at the Dursley's car. All that could be seen was the tops of three heads and three pairs of eyes spying from behind their seats.

Dudley finally got a good look at the witch who had joined them. She was young; not much older than Dudley. Her hair was jet black and she had slightly dark skin; Dudley's first thought was that she was Persian. Her face had a gentle curve and was unblemished. Her shirt said, "The Weird Sisters," in multi-colored, multi-font lettering.

The older wizard in the purple robes said, "That car isn't going anywhere on its own. You may as well come out." Dudley was the first to get out of the car, followed reluctantly by his mother and father. "There we are," the wizard said. He smelled strongly of brandy and honey. He had a lopsided way of walking that indicated a large amount of drink. "I am Magellan Haydn. My comrade in arms is Vera Rostum," he indicated the beautiful Persian woman who arrived with him, "and I think it would be prudent to get out of the open. Everyone on the bus, and I will prepare to tow your car behind us."

Dudley thought that the bus these wizards and witches were driving looked ready to fall apart and not up to the challenge of towing anything. Apparently, Vernon thought so too, because he said, "Hopefully that dilapidated jalopy can manage it." Vernon was standing stiff and red faced. It was amazing he was even capable of speech, so palpable was his unrest. Of course, they had all just been attacked by wizards and a witch...on brooms no less.

Magellan smiled. "Oh, she's stronger than she looks." He had a cool confidence that immediately put one at ease.

Everyone climbed onto the bus. Vernon looked as though he was ready to explode. Petunia was pursing her lips tightly, her face as white as chalk. The inside of the bus had all of the seat on one side removed. In their place were various boxes and packages. Magellan climbed into the driver seat-much to Vernon's terror-and backed the bus to the front of the car. Getting back out, he pointed his wand at the car bumper and said, "Necto catena." Heavy chains tied the car to the back of the bus.

As he climbed back aboard, Vera and Hestia finally chose their seats, Hestia next to Petunia, and Vera next to Dudley. Dudley felt as though his stomach had lodged in his throat. Vera turned to him and said in a soft but clear voice, "Hello." She smiled warmly.

Dudley felt his face burning as he said, "Hullo. I'm Dudley."

"Pleased to meet you."

Dudley seemed to lose his voice. Vera looked forward, smiling even more broadly. Dedalus and Vernon each had the last two seats to themselves. Petunia finally seemed to have found her voice. "That...pie-eyed paraffin isn't going to be driving, is he?"

"Does your rudeness know no end?" asked Hestia.

"He's drunk," said Petunia, "and he's driving!"

Hestia's ears went red and she said, abashedly, "He has his faults but he he'll never fail to get you through safely. There's no cause for name calling."

Magellan finally stepped back on and took the driver seat. Looking into the large rear-view mirror, he said, "It's just a bit up the road. We'll be there in a jiff."

"Should you be driving in your state?" said Petunia, with a nasty edge to her voice.

Magellan simply smiled and said, "You needn't worry. This bus has an impervious charm on it. It can't hit anything."

The bus lurched forward, Magellan not waiting for Petunia's continued protest. It turned out, he was quite right. Magellan swerved several times, but things such as lampposts, trash cans, and benches simply jumped out of the way. The bus also squeezed between cars and spaces so tight, Dudley was sure it would have been quite impossible for his father's much smaller company car.

After a mere five minutes or so, the bus pulled up to a rather large three story farm house. It was in desperate need of a paint job and gray distressed wood peeked out from behind fading white paint. The house had unpainted, natural ebony wood shutters on the windows. A closer look revealed shellac that become scaled with age. It had a large wrap-around porch. The house appeared to be the size of a small mansion and every Dursley was certain it would have at least six bedrooms and likely more.

"Welcome to my humble abode," said Magellan.

As the Dursleys stepped out of the house onto the gravel path, they finally took the time to examine their belongings. There were several scorch marks on the suitcases upon the roof of their car where errant spells struck. Vernon shouted, "Now see here! We didn't agree to any of this! We didn't-"

"You're a disagreeable sort," said Magellan.

"Of course, I'm disagreeable! My normal family has been uprooted from its normal life because of your lot and other such abnormal people! Now, I-"

"Mr. Dursley, something needs to be clarified," said Magellan, quite cheerfully. "I don't think any of us agreed to go to war with an evil dark wizard or to be hunted by his followers. Now, your lot is stuck with my lot because of it. I'm not saying it's your fault, but it certainly isn't my fault. I don't have to play host to bellowing walrus and if you don't like it, I'm sure you can lodge a complaint with the Death Eaters who just attacked you. I'm sure they'll be glad to hear it."

This shut Vernon up. The bottom line was, when confronted with the choice of Death Eaters or the Order, Vernon was willing to make concessions.

"There's a good man. Now there has been no damage done to your belongings that I cannot repair." He snapped his fingers. "Raisa!"

Dudley wasn't sure what "Raisa" meant and neither did Vernon, but a soft pop and wisp of smoke followed the statement. Having just appeared was a creature standing two feet tall with earthen colored skin, wearing a pristine white towel with a hole cut in the center for it to put its head through.

Vernon's screams renewed and this time, Petunia screamed also. "What is that? What is that thing?" Petunia looked as if she would very much have liked to clobber it with a rolling pin. Hiding behind her husband, who was sputtering incomprehensibly, she peered around his shoulders at the creature.

"Goodness," said Magellan. "You really need to calm down. She's just a house elf. She doesn't bite."

"Master called?" asked Raisa in a high, squeaky voice.

"Yes, be a good girl and help our guests with their luggage." Raisa rushed to the car, released the binding straps, and displaying a strength quite disproportionate to her size, she lifted two particularly large pieces of luggage off the top and rushed them into the house. Vernon and Petunia watched the creature go by, both wearing expressions that suggested they expected Raisa to attack at any moment.

Dudley, grinned broadly. There was potential here. There were untapped wonders previously unexplored, stifled by a family that lacked imagination or humor. His mother and father may view this experience as quite unacceptable, but Dudley made a very different choice. He thought slowly, he knew. His wits were not as quick as others his age and he could not help but wonder if parents hatred of anything they deemed unnatural had anything to do with it. Dudley wasn't sure how he came to the conclusion but somehow he knew that if he simply took this opportunity to broaden his mind, he would be the better for it. Perhaps this was his cousin's influence over him. If so, he had even more to thank Harry for than he had originally thought. He took two pieces of luggage for himself and followed Raisa to the door.


	2. In the House of the Alchemist

Raisa worked very quickly and the car was unloaded in no time. Vernon and Petunia treated her as if she had a deadly and contagious disease. Indeed, they regarded Raisa in much the same way they did Harry. They were even leery of the luggage she brought in, looking at it as if it might explode. Vernon carried very little. Dudley carried his own luggage in. After watching Raisa for several minutes, he decided that Harry would have helped, so Dudley helped to carry the luggage up to the rooms. Two bedrooms had been given to the Dursleys. After everyone had been settled in, there were two spare bedrooms left. Dudley was quite impressed by the size of this house. He had never been in one quite this big.

There were mountains of books in every room. "The Most Arcane Arte of Alchemie" by Nicholas Flamel sat upon a table at the back of the living room with several notebooks. "Learn to Speak Gobbledegook In Twelve Easy Lessons" by Grosnok sat atop one of the book piles. Some of the books had subjects on the covers that were moving, such as "The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore", by Rita Skeeter, the cover of which featured the very wizard that had so imposingly visited the Dursleys during the previous summer.

Most of the books that Dudley saw were about alchemy: "The Alchemist: Water and Fire" by Hermes Trismegistus, an updated translation by Bathilda Bagshot was also prominently displayed. "The Philosopher's Quest" also by Nicholas Flamel, sat beside this last book. A sign that hung upon a locked door in the east section of the house read, "My Lab. Trespassers Will Be Toad."

Everybody was assembled in the living room. Vera sat upon the red velvet couch in the center of the room. Dedalus sat upon an armchair nearby. Hestia stood in a corner, while Vernon and Petunia stood in the middle of the room, looking like trapped animals. Dudley was to busy examining the peculiar books to be interested in anything else. He couldn't recall ever having been interested in books in his life, but if his parents had provided him with books bearing titles like "Dragon Taming for the Student, Enthusiast, and Professional", he just might have become an avid reader.

"Well," said Magellan, walking through the front door, "welcome to my humble abode, all of you. I expect that we will all quickly become the best of friends." Vernon snorted. "Dinner is in one hour. If you wish to go to your rooms, they have already been prepared." He walked briskly out of the room.

"I think the Dursleys may all need something to calm their nerves," said Hestia, startling everybody. She was so well concealed in her corner that it was easy to forget she was there. With her wand, she drew six glasses in the air and filled each of them with an amber liquid. Five of them flew across the room, one to each person present. Hestia took the last glass for herself. "It's just a bit of mead." She glared indignantly at Vernon and Petunia, who were cowering from glasses.

Dudley elected to try it. Taking a sip of the sweet liquid, he found it warmed his insides quite pleasantly. He continued to browse the books around the room. He hardly noticed Vera walk up behind him.

"You're not what Harry described," she said.

Dudley felt his face go red. "I used to be," he said quietly.

"Oh? Why is that?"

"I don't know. I guess I still am, a little bit. I wasn't very nice. A bit of a jerk, actually." He finally looked around. "You weren't what I expected. Well, you see what my parents are like, I s'pose you can guess what I expected."

"We're all raised with our parent's prejudices. It takes a better man to leave them behind. My parents were Muggles. They came here from Saudi Arabia years ago. My brothers hadn't even been born. I have two older brothers and one younger sister. My sister and I each got a note from Hogwarts. Me mum said it was unnatural. Me dad said it was an abomination. Professor Dumbledore was so nice. He explained why it was better that I go to Hogwarts, that it's dangerous to try and make the magic go away. Eventually they accepted it. Well, actually I should say they accepted that I really had to learn how to control it. They never really accepted me or my sister again. I suppose I'm lucky that they loved me enough not to turn me away." She grinned quite broadly. "Why am I telling you this?"

Dudley suddenly felt embarrassed, but he didn't know why. "One of my friends says that it's good to talk about things that bother you. It helps you feel better."

"I expect that your parents would cringe at the first three sentences I said."

Dudley laughed, but said nothing. He picked up a book called "Quintessence and the Sorcerer's Stone" and thumbed through the pages. "My parents were always afraid of this stuff. So did I. I never knew what Harry did was magic until that big bloke told me. He was ten feet tall and had black hair like a rag mop."

"Hagrid."

"Mum and dad told me that Harry would do all these awful things to me once he knew how."

"But he never did."

Dudley shook his head and continued to read what he could. He found that he stumbled over a number of the larger words. The pages were of a thick type of paper with lines in the material, more like a cloth than paper, but the language wasn't quite so archaic. Dudley found it at least comprehensible.

"The Philosopher's Stone, otherwise known as the Sorcerer's Stone, is the ultimate goal of the alchemist; that one perfect substance that hovers just beyond grasp. It is the ultimate element, the element that is all things and yet is the basic thing that all things come from. It is a paradox, believed to be unachievable. The alchemist can achieve miracles without the waving of a wand, without the use of an incantation, without the imbibing of a sweet or bitter potion and he that finds his ultimate goal shall find him master of all elements and shall have no need for magic. For alchemy is the non-wizard's magic and it is greater than magic."

Dudley closed the book and said, "So alchemy isn't magic?"

Vera shrugged, "You're asking the wrong one. I never got into it."

Dudley's imagination had already carried him away. His parents had always hated imagination and so always hated magic. Dudley always thought that it was because magic users were more dangerous, but he came to think there was a deeper reason. His father had always been obsessed with his public image and his mother had always vehemently supported his hatred of magic, but now Dudley wondered if perhaps, his mother wasn't a bit jealous of Lily. How would she feel if another of her flesh and blood were to follow that dreaded path? The phrase "the non-wizard's magic" swam back into his consciousness and Dudley became enamored of a sudden, dangerous, rebellious idea. After all, why couldn't he do magic? It all had to be a matter of mind and if there was a way to do it without wands and spells, then why not?

Later that evening found the house guests in the main dining room and seated before a meal of cottage pie, toad-in-the-hole, with various vegetables and a dessert of spotted dick. The meal was accompanied by mugs of something called butterbeer. A chandelier hung from the ceiling with a hundred candles lit. The walls were drab green and there were two china cabinets each containing expensive silver sets and porcelain dishes. The table was long enough to comfortably seat twice as many people as who were there.

Vernon and Petunia sat stiffly, eating slowly, and cautiously. Vernon took his first bite of toad-in-the-hole as though expecting poison. He and Petunia were actually half way through their meal before they became comfortable enough to eat normally. The atmosphere uncomfortably formal as muggles looked to witch and wizard and vice versa with equal trepidation. Dudley exchanged glances with Vera, who found the whole situation quite as amusing as he did.

Magellan was the first to break the silence. "Well we're a lively bunch tonight. Who's funeral are you all attending?" Everybody sat rigid in their seats, not willing to look Magellan in the eye. "Now honestly, Mister and Missus Dursley, Hestia; the three of you don't even know each other. Can't you try learning to like each other?"

Petunia looked scandalous. "It's...it's..."

"Unnatural? Petunia, does it not occur to you that your behavior might not be just a bit bigoted. How would you act in the presence of a group of people of different race and color? Please. Everybody is just trying to get through the day, just like you, magic or no magic."

Petunia bit her lip, looking very much like she wanted to argue, but an expression of shame very briefly flitted across her face. This seemed to enough to stop her from retorting. Indeed, she simply looked down in her plate, as though it was consoling her of some deep disappointment.

"Mister Haydn," said Dudley, "Is there Missus Haydn?"

"That's the spirit! Start a little mealtime chitchat!" said Magellan. "There used to be, Dudley, but there hasn't been for a long time, and please, Mag or Magellan will do fine."

Dudley ignored the looks of horror that his mother and father were shooting in his direction. "Who were those people that attacked us?"

Magellan smiled broadly. "Ah, that lot there. Those were Death Eaters. New by the looks of them. Voldemort has probably been filling his ranks." Dedalus and Hestia flinched at the mention of the name. Vera glanced around nervously. "Lord knows we killed enough of his followers in the old days that he'd have to."

Hestia said, "The woman was Abigail Bulstrode. Don't know the other two. Bulstrode, as I understand it that she was trying to join You-Know-Who's ranks back in the old days. I went to Hogwarts with her and You-Know-Who fell before I even made it through my fourth year. Bulstrode would have been too young for the Death Eaters then. Me mum was in the Order of the Phoenix and I was determined I was going to fight, too. Didn't happen."

"So Dudley," said Magellan, "what about you? I understand you're a somewhat talented boxer." Dudley must have failed to conceal his surprise because Magellan said, "Mad-Eye likes to know everything he can about the people the Order is going to be looking after. He acquired your school records." He pulled a pocket watch out and looked at it with a concerned expression on his face. "Speaking of Mad-Eye, we should have heard from him by now."

He replaced the pocket watch. Next, Vera engaged Dudley in conversation. Apparently her brother was quite a skilled boxer and she expressed a hope that Dudley could meet him. Vernon and Petunia were eying their son in a most venomous manner and it was obvious that they didn't approve of Dudley's interaction with the wizards or witches and even less so in the way Dudley fawned over Vera.

After dinner, Dudley found his room and Vernon and Petunia entered behind him. "We'd like to talk to you son," said Vernon. He looked uneasy, as if he was trying to find a way to tell a friend that he was dying. "Well, you know that we disapprove of this-er, what I mean is that...this lot, they're not like us, Dudders."

"Diddydum, what your father is trying to say is that-"

"Is that you hate them as much as you hate Harry. That's it, right?" Dudley stared at each of them blandly.

"No, no, no," Petunia said, having gone quite pale, "we didn't hate Harry. It's just that...well...the things he did, they were...well...unnatural and you know that in any respectable family, such unnaturalness cannot be tolerated."

"Ah," said Dudley in a voice of dawning comprehension, "so you were just more concerned about your image than in the welfare of my cousin."

"Everything we did was for his welfare!" Petunia was indignant.

"Son, how can you say that?" Vernon had become quite as pale as a ghost.

"No, it was for your welfare. Why else would you call your sister a freak?"

Vernon and Petunia looked quite affronted. They looked at each other and then glared at Dudley for several seconds. Vernon finally said, "Now look, Dudley, when all of this is normal, things are going to go back to normal, right?"

"Sure. You'll go back to having a nephew you hate and I'll go back to barely scraping a pass in high school. Harry'll be free to do what he wants, being of age and all." He turned around and began pulling cloths out of his suitcase. "Maybe you'll have me selling drills, like you."

"It's kept a roof over your head."

"Now, Vernon," said Petunia, "don't get your temper up. Our Diddydum won't be foolish enough to actually get close to these freaks."

"What about that girl?" Vernon snarled. "Dudley, we have never been hard on you. We have made sure you had the best of everything, and that said, it's time you considered what's due your family."

"I guess Harry didn't count as family," said Dudley.

"Just what is this? You've never sounded off like this before. What is bothering you, Dudders?"

Dudley began to throw cloths into the drawer of a large dresser on the wall away from his bed. "Nothing. I'm tired. I want to get some sleep."

His parents looked as if they wanted to say something more, but accepted the dismissal, leaving and closing the door behind them. Dudley pulled out his weights and began to do some curls. He could hear his mother and father talking but couldn't make out what they were saying. Sometimes, Dudley wished he could do magic. If he could, he would change a great deal. These days when he looked in the mirror, he couldn't find the handsome young boy that his mother doted on. All he saw was somebody resembling a beached whale. Had he always looked like that? That would be the first thing he would change.

Then he realized that magic wouldn't change those things he wanted to change most. He and his friends were nothing more than street gang terrorizing Magnolia Crescent. He was a hooligan that closely resembled a walrus. What chance would he have at romance? He set the weights upon the floor with a thud. Falling upon the mattress, he noted that it was very comfortable but could not keep his mind off these depressing thoughts. He stared up at the ceiling, which was black with glowing stars painted upon it.

Harry was at the foot of his bed and told him that he had better hope the rescuers get him to the ocean soon. Dudley jumped in surpise and found himself flopping helplessly upon a beach with people pushing him. Magellan showed up with his bus and hooked Dudley to it, saying, "Here's how you do it," and then drove into the ocean, where Dudley was finally happy and free, until he realized that he couldn't swim. Vera stood at the shoreline and held out Harry's broomstick, which disintigrated when Dudley touched it. She grabbed him and started pulling him. Then she started shaking him. Why was she shaking him? She shook harder and Dudley found he was staring into the face of Magellan's house elf, Raisa.

"Wake up, sir," she said in a squeaky voice. "Your breakfast is ready." As Raisa left, Dudley fell back to the mattress and looked up at the starry ceiling. Sunlight poured in from the windows, which revealed plains surrounded by woods. Grudgingly, he got up. As he had fallen asleep in his clothes, he opted to change into something fresh. He took a quick bath and decided to put on one of the smart outfits his mother usually bought for him.

Sleep had not improved Dudley's mood. Indeed, he was quite sure that this was earlier than he usually woke for summer vacation, and indeed, during school. He drew a curtain and clearly saw that the sun hadn't even risen. He cursed under his breath and stalked downstairs.


	3. The Partiers and the Lynx

As the days went by, Dudley learned that Harry had safely arrived at someplace called the Burrow, but there had been a casualty. Someone called Mad-Eye had been killed by Someone Who Must Not Be Named. He couldn't see anything amiss, but others would occasionally show up alerting Magellan that the Death Eaters were still watching the house. Dudley couldn't tell one way or the other. He was stuck in this house either way. Eventually, Dedalus left, insisting that he had pressing matters to attend to, and Hestia seemed not to mind assuring the Dursley's that they were untouchable in that house, and if the Death Eater's did get in, then it could only mean that they were all beyond help. It was hardly reassuring.

As diminishing as assurances were, so was Dudley's appetite. He wondered if he was cursed. Food seemed to be making him sick. The very sight of it made him turn green. It was only when he was unbearably hungry did he manage to eat a reasonable portion. His favorite dishes were not lacking by any means. Raisa was a fabulous cook. Ice cream (home made), treacle tart, and spotted dick were among only a few of the treats that Dudley could choose from dessert, and he would occasionally break his fast for his favorite sweets, but even then, he ate very little.

If Dudley wasn't trying to keep his food down, he was holed away in his guest room. Everybody wondered what he did in there for so long. His Gameboy didn't work in the house for some reason. People would knock, offer to talk, ask what was troubling him, but he wouldn't tell them, and the inside of his room offered no clue what he did in there for so long. He couldn't tell them that it was shame that kept him from eating, shame that kept him in his room, and shame that drove him to hide. Of course, he couldn't quite figure out what was driving him sneak books away from Magellan's library; books about alchemy.

Petunia and Vernon would often visit him in his room, trying to cheer him up. Hestia would come up occasionally and just talk. Dudley found himself surprisingly fascinated by the meaning of her name. Hestia had been the Greek goddess of the hearth; that is to say of hospitality. It was funny, but Dudley realized that it made sense that there was a goddess of home-cooked meals and warm beds, and who always made sure that no matter how long he was gone, the soldier in the field wouldn't forget home. Still, none of this cheered him up. Rubbish, Vernon and Petunia called Hestia's stories.

It was the thirtieth of July when there was a soft knock at his door. Dudley thought it might be Hestia, but when he opened the door, he saw Vera standing there. "May I come in?" she asked.

Dudley silently stood aside to permit entry.

"I haven't seen you in awhile. I've been wondering if maybe you don't want to be around us." There was nothing accusing or particularly hurt in her voice, though it seemed she was a bit disappointed.

"It's not that, honestly," said Dudley, rather stupidly, he thought. "It's just..." and like that, he lost his words. All he could think of was that he was in his room, alone with a girl. A beautiful girl with black hair, dark golden skin, and deep black eyes.

"Starving yourself isn't good for you."

"I just haven't had much of an appetite."

She nodded, "And you spend all of your time up here."

"I've been reading. I don't do much reading, so I decided that I might change a few of my bad habits, you know."

Vera's eyes widened in mock alarm. "Not much reading here that your parents would approve of."

"None of it actually. That's why I'm reading it."

Vera's lips parted into a smile, which Dudley quickly noted, observing the perfect way her lips parted over her perfect white teeth. Vera said, "I think I can relate to that." Her accent, perfect. It was English, but there was a heavy smattering of something exotic, with an otherworldly beauty.

Dudley decided that it would be embarrassing if he started drooling, so he steered the conversation away from any thought of her. "Did you know my cousin well?"

"No, I was in Ravenclaw. Harry was a Gryffindor." She must have seen the confusion on his face. "I probably shouldn't even tell you, a muggle, you know, but Hogwarts has four houses. Harry's house was Gryffindor and mine was Ravenclaw. Ravenclaw is for smart people who always have noses in their books, and Gryffindor is for brave and courageous people like Harry who act without thinking. The only Gryffindor I knew was Parvati Patil and that was only because her sister was in my house. The houses usually don't interact much with each other except at classes, Quidditch, and school events, so I really didn't know him and nobody else really did, either. Well, Harry did date Cho Chang, who was in my house, but that didn't last long. Cho was really upset about it. All last year she was talking about how stupid she'd been."

Wonderful. She was talking about dating. That didn't help Dudley a great deal. Then Dudley added context to the conversation and then realized she had said something shocking. "Wait a minute. Harry dated...bloody hell. I never actually realized just how disconnected from Harry I really am."

Vera smiled understandingly. "Well, when you get the chance, you should do your best to catch up." The smile didn't change or waver. "So Dudley, you know a little of Harry's dating life. What about yours?"

This really wasn't going the way Dudley had planned. "Well, nobody really," he said in a quavering voice. "There's nobody. I'm not really very popular back home, and well..."

"Oh, don't sell yourself short. I know lots of girls that would take a fancy to you." For some reason, this statement made Dudley feel very self-conscious. Vera said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you blush." She extended her hand. "Come on, you should join your family in the world of the living, along with the rest of us. Plenty of time to read."

Vernon and Petunia were quick to note that of all the people who had finally gotten Dudley out of his room, it had been Vera. Vernon was looking at her in the same manner he looked at Harry when he decided the boy had done something worth punishing. Petunia, contemplated Vera as though she would a particularly nasty stain. Vera simply raised her eyebrows and shrugged, and move along to the kitchen.

"Now, eat something. You'll feel better." Vera shoved a turkey sandwich into Dudley's hand. When he swallowed his first bite, an emptiness he hadn't realized he had been feeling washed over him. He ate the sandwich in two bites. "You see," said Vera, "you are hungry. Eat some more." So Dudley ate some more. He ate another sandwich, some stuffing, an orange, a large helping of treacle tart and he drank copious amounts of lemonade. He successfully suppressed a large belch.

Vera smiled serenely. "Now, don't you feel better. I'll bet your mood has improved too."

Dudley allowed himself the smallest of smiles. "Probably," he said.

Hestia's voice drifted in from the hallway. "...I just wish I could go. Arthur says that Muriel is letting Fleur use her silver tiara. She'll look radiant."

"Really?" said Magellan. "I can't imagine Muriel doing anything nice for anyone," his voice became high and raspy. "'Move over! I'm over a hundred years old!'"

As they entered the kitchen, Hestia said, "I'll admit, Muriel can be a bit difficult to get along with, but when it comes down to it, nothing is more important to her than family. Or family pride. You know that's all she's thinking of. Fleur gets the best because it makes the family look the best." Hestia looked in Dudley's direction. Her expression, which was already blazing, brightened even further. "He's emerged! We were starting to worry."

"What are you on about?" asked Dudley.

"Hmm? Oh, there's a wedding tomorrow! Fleur Delacour and Bill Weasley. It's at the Weasley's house so, since it's your cousin's birthday tomorrow, they've decided to make it a double celebration. Fleur is very good friends with Harry so they're going all out. I'm just wishing we could all get away from here. It could do us some good to have a bit of a party."

"I agree, completely," said Magellan, "but Mad-Eye was right. We can't have people moving back and forth from a safehouse."

"I know, but..." and Hestia's eyebrows rose. "We could have a party here, tomorrow. Just the four of us...and maybe those two." Hestia looked out to the living room, where Vernon and Petunia had taken to sitting during the noontime. Vernon was usually reading, and Petunia was often found to help with the cleaning.

Dudley couldn't help but laugh. "I'm all for it, but good luck with those two."

Magellan said, "We need butterbeer."

"I think you've had enough beer."

"Very droll, young Dudley, but you'll hardly get drunk on butterbeer. Mead maybe, but not butterbeer as there's hardly any alcohol in it. Tell him Vera."

Vera shook her head. "Students are even allowed to buy it Hogsmeade. Mead, on the other hand, we aren't allowed to have."

"Yes, but butterbeer is perfect for a party. I'll get some at the Leaky Cauldron when I'm out today."

Just like that, a party plan was formed. From a distance, Dudley, Vera, Hestia, and Magellan would wish Harry well on his birthday, and Vernon and Petunia might vaguely express begrudging gratitude that he had somehow managed to survive this long. While Hestia, Vera, and Magellan discussed plans for festivities, Dudley had a nasty suspicion that even now, his mother and father had a plan to intervene.

It was in the evening, when everyone was preparing for bed that his mother and father cornered him in his room. It was Vernon who approached, with a one large finger pointed to Dudley's considerably larger chest. "Now, listen here, Dudley. We may have to share living space with these weirdos, but that does not mean we have to interact with them beyond the basic unpleasantness. You may have been taken in by the charms of this lot, umm, such as they are, but you don't forget everything your mother and I have done for you. You've had the best of everything. Now, we've never asked for much, but Dudley, after all the work we've put in, you need to remember what we are owed."

"Or, you'll lock me in the cupboard under the stairs? Hand me down all of your used clothes? The littlest threat that I might start using my head on my own and you started your little talks with me. That tells me all I need to know. You're right. I do owe you something." He turned to Petunia and said, "I owe you the truth, mum. During the summer, I don't have tea with my friends. We go around vandalizing public property, smoking in the back alleys and robbing the younger kids for their play money. If we ever saw Harry, we'd make a special trip and make sure he was bruised up.

"I spent all of last school year wondering what that wizard fellow was talking about how damaged I was because of you. For the life of me, I couldn't think of a single time either of you had ever mistreated me. Then I realized. I was perfect and Harry was the troublemaker, even though he never did nothing wrong. You see, he couldn't always control the magic when he was angry or scared. That's why Aunt Marge blew up. He didn't mean to do it but he was so mad at her he couldn't help it. You treated him like a delinquent and me like a dainty when it should have been other way around. You were so busy worrying about him that you never stopped to find out what I was getting up to. Now what's worse, getting to know a bunch of weirdos, or running in a street gang? Get your bloody priorities straight."

Petunia's eye twitched. Her blonde head bobbed precariously atop her overlong neck. Vernon's face was unreadable. His mustache moved back and forth and then he finally looked down, then back up into Dudley's eyes. He spoke softly. "And what do you think if this little secret you've hidden? How does it make you feel?"

"Ashamed."

"Hmm...and do you think it our faults or yours?"

"Equal shares. The decisions I made are mine alone, but you could have at least found out what I was doing."

Vernon raised his eyebrows. "I'll admit, there's something in that. You think we were too hard on Harry and not hard enough on you. Is that it?"

"That's right, sir."

Vernon began to turn and look about as if he were searching the room for something lost. "Perhaps it's karma that's landed us in this nightmare. That boy is a menace! Scared you, that's what he's done. You only acted out because of that boy. You felt the need to intimidate him! That's exactly the position I was in, Dudley!"

Dudley shook his head, his thoughts nearly demolished by his profound sense of disbelief.

"Perhaps," said Petunia, tremulously, "it was just a bit of rebellion on his part. It is so common with teenagers."

Dudley couldn't believe that his mother too was glossing over Dudley's criminal activity. He strongly suspected that she would have let him get away with murder. "And is Harry rebelling?" asked Dudley. "He's going off to save the world, and I'm hiding in a corner." Dudley shook his head. "What do I amount to? Harry saved my life. I don't know anyone else who would do that for me. I've been a terrible person all of my life. Can't we just be nice for once? We're here. The reason for the party is in honor of Harry's birthday and some wedding or other, but that's just an excuse. The party is for all of us, so we can take the stress off. What's the harm in that? Actually, it might do us some good. Are they so bad that we can't even unwind in each other's company?"

"Well," said Vernon, his face turning red, "maybe this ruddy party isn't such a bad idea." His eyes turned dangerous. "If they do anything funny, I will not be responsible for my actions, no sir."

The next day was not the hustle and bustle Dudley had expected, but it was festive nonetheless. There were balloons that read, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY, WISH YOU COULD BE HERE" and others wished Bill and Fleur a happy union. White and blue ribbons hung from the ceiling and the usual assortment of sweets was on the table. True to his word, Magellan had procured two cases of butterbeer. It was a smooth and creamy drink that immediately warmed Dudley from the inside out.

Nobody really did much of anything, except that Magellan told tall tales of his youth and Raisa maintained his steady stream of mead. The only time he ever seemed drunk was when he tried to walk, or rather stagger. Dudley had known Aunt Marge to be susceptible to the effects of brandy, but her speech slurred, and she became, if anything, meaner. This wasn't so with Magellan. Vera waved off several offers of mead, insisting she had had too many, though Dudley couldn't recall her touching even one. She had drank two bottles of butterbeer through the whole day. Dudley, on the other hand, drank his fill of butterbeer, and even Vernon and Petunia could find nothing to criticize about it.

Once the sun went down, Magellan sang about wizard named Odo, and was received by a teary eyed Hestia. Dudley wasn't sure if Hestia was crying because the story was so sad or the singing so lousy. His mother's eyes were usually sharp, and she could fool a stranger in any state, but Dudley, who knew Petunia better than any, save his father, could see the telltale signs that she hadn't been restrained with her drink. Vernon had been passed out for an hour. Dudley took the opportunity to sit with Vera. She looked up at him with red eyes.

"You came to talk to me," she said. "This is a good sign."

Dudley looked into her perfect eyes, and saw the red fissures. "I don't understand. Have you been crying?"

She nodded and said, "I get like this at parties. My family is like yours. They hate magic. It was bad enough I was a girl."

"Your family's Muslim."

"Hmm...not me. I don't believe in anything anymore. I left to help with the Order because they were trying to arrange a marriage for me. My sister they haven't found anyone for. For me, there is a cousin living back in Saudi Arabia that is much to close a cousin for my liking."

Dudley nodded, not sure what to say. He had a cousin named Bethany, a chubby, muscular, bespectacled version of himself. She stomped everywhere she went, challenging people to disagree with her. He shuddered at the thought of marrying Bethany, realizing that she was just like him. She was another Aunt Marge. He looked over to his mother. Petunia's gaze was fixed upon Dudley and Vera, unwavering. Her eyes were deceptively calm, but Dudley could sense Petunia's disgust towards Vera. There was nothing, nothing that could ever bring these two together, though Vera had done absolutely nothing to warrant Petunia's scrutiny.

Then her eyes flickered, and Dudley followed her gaze to a glowing, silver ghost of a lynx. It strangely reminded Dudley of the stag that Harry had summoned to fend off of the Dementors. The lynx looked about. Everyone except the snoring Vernon, who was still quite passed out. Once the lynx appeared satisfied, it spoke in the voice of Kingsley Shackelbolt. "The ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."

Magellan reacted instantly. "Hestia, you and I are the only ones that can be found here. Vera," he pointed her out, "Take the muggles and yourself. My door. The one that says 'keep out'. I have Mad-Eye's trunk of many chambers in it. There is one that should hide all of you. Don't come out until I tell you. Don't make a sound."

Everyone sat in stunned silence.

"Move!" shouted Magellan.

Dudley and Petunia frantically tried to wake Vernon. As he slowly woke, Petunia, in stuttering breaths, tried to explain what happened. "A cat thing came and said someone was dead and now the crusty man says we have to hide."

Dudley roared in frustration. "Dad, Smethson hit your car with his lawnmower." Vernon's eyes opened wide. "Harry just dropped a cake on one of your clients. They said you can keep your drills." Vernon sat bolt upright. He was prepared to commit murder. "Good, you're awake. A bunch of wizards are coming to kill us all and they work for that Voldy guy." The deep red drained from Vernon's face, leaving him sickly pale.

Magellan called, "Young Mister Dursley, I would pray that the Death Eaters never find out that you referred to their great Dark Lord as 'That Voldy Guy'."

Vera grabbed Dudley under the arm and said, "Come on." She and the three Dursleys rushed into Magellan's forbidden room and immediately found the trunk he had mentioned. Vera found the keys sitting on top and immediately began trying the locks. First attempt, shirts. Second attempt...erm...gross. Third attempt, a bunch of broken sneakoscopes. Fourth attempt...honey rum. Fifth attempt, a deep chamber with a ladder leading down. Vera turned to the Dursleys and said, "In."

Dudley said, "I can't fit in that thing."

"Sure you can. It's dimensionally transcendent."

"In this language, please."

"It's bigger on the inside."

Dudley looked questioningly. There was a loud bang in the living room, and raised voices could be heard. Obviously they had some unwanted visitors. Dudley climbed into the much too small trunk, only to find that it was quite roomy. Whatever objections his parents may have had were quashed as well as they followed Dudley without question. Vera was the last in, bringing the keys and locking the trunk from the inside. Rather than climb the ladder down, she jumped and as she landed, her wand was out and pointed straight at the trunk lid.

They waited...for an eternity. Vera stood sentinel the whole time they waited, which was too long for comfort. Far too long.


	4. The Dursley's Crack Down and Up

Vera had long since sat down, and Vernon and Petunia finally calmed down. Only the terror of discovery kept them quiet, and they feared even a whisper being heard. Dudley looked around himself. Whoever heard of a damp stone dungeon inside of a trunk, and what sort would even think of such a thing? Vernon and Petunia finally sat down in a corner and after a time, fell asleep. Dudley felt uneasy. Why hadn't Magellan or Hestia come to open the trunk or to let them know the coast was clear? After what Dudley was certain was several hours, he said, "Maybe they've all gone."

"We don't know that," said Vera. "Death Eaters could still be up there, waiting or searching. We'll know when we know." She sat next to Dudley, her wand pointed at her hand. Hovering above her hand was a ball of fire that she was making larger and smaller, changing shapes with, and even making dance. "When we get advanced, we're supposed to spell without speaking. I was a natural. You don't actually need the words. You just need to give a form to your intent. Words help you do that. I never needed them. I was always very imaginative. It's no wonder then I ended up a witch."

"So, all you need to be a wizard is imagination?"

Vera said, "Nobody knows. There has to be a reason that families with no abilities for magic or even original thinking produce people like Hermione Granger, who could certainly beat me in any test, and she didn't have my talent to visualize." She had extinguished the fire, the light in the room having no apparent source, and twirled her wand between her forefinger and her thumb. "You know why we have to hide?"

Dudley shook his head.

"Those people up there." She looked up to the lid of the trunk. "They hate muggleborns. They call us mudbloods. They think the only wizard worth knowing is a wizard of pure stock. They think even less of muggles. Thing is, you'd be safe enough if you weren't related to Harry. But you're here. Magellan's a pureblood. If they found you here with him, it'd be bad for both of you. Me, a mudblood, there's nowhere safe for me. Only safety in running and hiding."

"That's awful." Dudley shook his head. "I mean, that's like Hitler."

Vera looked at him, a small, charming smile curling her lips. Dudley looked at her, puzzled, and Vera's smile broadened. She said, "Not enough people get angry with what's going on."

"That's why nutters like this Voldy fellow never get called out. People always think it's easier just to let them have their way. Think they're in control, they do."

"Or they're too afraid to admit they're not in control. They're afraid what'll happen if people lose confidence in them way more than what You-Know-Who might do."

Dudley sat back against the wall, his eyes looking up into the trunk lid. There was Harry Potter, staring down at him. "Wish me a happy birthday, then," said Harry. He looked around and was in his living room. Aunt Marge was wearing a big black judge's robe that had "Master of Ceremonies" emblazoned upon the chest. He was sitting in a circle with Harry, Vernon, Petunia, Vera, Magellan, Hestia, Dedalus, Piers Polkiss, and Malcolm. They began playing musical chairs while Marge whacked everyone except Dudley with her walking stick across the shins. The walls fell away, and they were outside while a large pinata that looked like Harry hung from a tree. Aunt Marge's pitbull, Ripper, was underneath, barking up at the paper-mache Harry. There was a cricket bat in Dudley's hand and everyone started saying, "Whack him!" Vera said, "Come on, Dudley. Take the first swing!"

Then a new voice sounded. It whispered right next to his ear, cold and high-pitched. It was a cruel voice that chilled Dudley to the bones. "Go ahead, Dudley. Lord Voldemort knows what is in your heart. Hatred, resentment. If Harry had never been in your life, perhaps you would have received the letter from Hogwarts." Dudley was too afraid to look, and yet couldn't stop himself. Inches from his own face was the hideous snake face that only such a voice could have come from. There were nostrils but no nose, the eyes were red and the head was devoid of any hair. "Yes, Dudley," said the ghoulish man, "show Harry how much you resent him." The most chilling thing wasn't the voice, or face, but what it said. It was right. Dudley had felt that way for a very long time. Harry could escape for most of the year, to real friends, while Dudley was at home with his smothering parents. He looked down at the bat and once more in his lifetime, he didn't know what he should do.

A rattling sound brought Dudley to wakefulness. Vera was asleep, her head resting on Dudley's shoulder. He gently shook her awake and as she realized her awkward position, straightened her self and scooted a respectable distance from Dudley. He pointed up and Vera lit her wand, pointing it upward. The lid opened and Magellan peered down at them.

"It's alright," he said, "you can come up now."

As Dudley exited the trunk, the snake man's voice said, "You cannot hide from Lord Voldemort. He sees your mind as clearly as the day..." and the voice faded off.

Now, Dudley got a proper look at the forbidden room. It was filled with beakers, decanters, petridishes, flasks, distillers, and numerous unnameable glass pitchers, syringes, thingamabobs, and doodads that had no readily available description. Hand written journals littered the wooden work areas and book cases that appeared to be hand made from raw timber, crowding fragile glass instruments and indescribable metal pieces. Everything was crafted with great care and attention to durability and functionality. Everyone's footfall struck the wood floor with resounding thuds.

Once they were out in the living room, Dudley got his first good look at Magellan. He looked as if he had run afoul of Dudley and his gang. His lower lip had been split, leaving a dark scab, and the side of his face was purple, his left eye nearly swollen shut. At their questioning looks, he said, "Hestia is upstairs. She got worked over much the same as I did. We are persons of interest, me and Hestia. We were actually surprised we got off so easy. Still, we had no clue where Harry is. I think what saved us was when a number of people using You-Know-Who's name were detected."

Vera asked, "How long ago did we get in the trunk?"

"You were in there for nearly a full day." He gestured to the windows. "It's nearly night now. They took us into the Ministry, all the way to London. Good thing you stayed put. They watched the house the whole time. They're probably watching it even now, but they've calmed down a bit."

Hestia came down the stairs. Indeed, as Magellan said, she had been quite bruised up, also. Vera ran over to her, offering help. Vernon appeared to be deep in thought. Petunia was ghostly white, and deadly silent. She sat down gingerly on the sofa and simply stared into the middle distance.

Vernon drew himself up, puffing up much like a peacock fanning its feathers. "Well, then."

Magellan rolled his eyes and said, "Here we go."

"I've been saying it for years, haven't I?"

Hestia shook her head and said, "And I'm sure you're going to say it again."

Vernon would not be deterred. "This is what comes of associating with this sort."

"Oh, pipe down."

"I will do nothing of the sort, madam. You lot are the sort that meddle in everyone's affairs and the respectable people, such as me and my family, find ourselves drawn inexorably into your nonsense. Your magic tricks and unnaturalness have no place in respectable society."

Hestia put her hands on her hips, a sardonic smile on her face. "Oh really? Respectable non-magic folk like gangsters, and burglars, and cheats, and swindlers, and murderers? Or people like you who make their livings selling overpriced toys and spend the profits eating enough for an army and abusing their magical nephews?"

"Now see here!"

"No, you see here! We've put up with you. We've risked our lives for you. Now, we're probably not going to survive helping you. A respectable man might thank us, help tend our wounds, which, so's you know, were intended for you. If you're what passes for respectable muggles, then you can keep your society. I'll be damned if I have any more hospitality for a lot of such ingrates as yourselves. Your son's the only one who's so much as said thank you, and from the looks of things, gratitude is a new concept for him. A fine lot you are, of snobs and stuffed shirts, and unnaturalness, you say? It wasn't us that sent a steel tube to the moon. Blow that through your mustache."

Hestia stormed out of the room, leaving Vernon sputtering incoherently. It seemed to Dudley that his father had finally met his match. Dudley marched off after Hestia, Vera following close behind.

As he left, he heard Magellan say, "It's nice to see that we can still have a quiet evening of peaceful reflection."

Dudley, upon entering the kitchen, expected to find Hestia in tears. His second choice was seething anger. He found seething anger.

Hestia said, rather brusquely, "Do you two need something?"

Vera said, "I only wanted to see if you needed help." Hestia's expression softened slightly.

Dudley said, "I want to apologize for my father. He doesn't handle it well when he's not in control of things."

Hestia scowled at Dudley. "Your father could really learn something from you, you know. That isn't the problem and you know it. Even when he is in control of things, which I doubt he ever is, he will never tolerate anyone like me...or like Magellan, or Vera. He's had sixteen years to tolerate Harry, and now you tell me what kind of job he's done of that. Dudley, your father is exactly the type of muggle that compelled wizards and witches to hide themselves from the world a thousand years ago. He'll never change. He'd have been happier living in ancient times as an inquisitor."

Dudley lowered his head. She was right. Looking back up, he took a closer look her her face. Her jaw was swollen on the right side, and might have been broken. The left eye was blood shot with broken vessels and the skin around it was dark and swollen. Hestia was as thin and lithe as Dudley's mother, and clearly as deceptively strong, if she could ignore her pain and stand proud.

Dudley said, "I'll get some ice for your swelling."

Vera said, "There's no need." She pulled out her wand and pointed it Hestia's face. It was like clay reshaping, and her eye was as smooth as always. There was a slight crunching sound and Hestia's face briefly contorted in pain as her jaw was restored to its proper shape.

"Thank you, Vera," said Hestia. "Dudley, keep trying to be a good person. You're already a better man than your father. Any idea what made you steer from the course he set you on?"

Dudley shrugged. "Harry saved my life from some things called dementors a couple of years ago and that got me to thinking of things. Then some fellow called Dumble-well, he was one of Harry's professors-he said something that got me to thinking even more. I realized I didn't hate Harry or anyone else. That was that."

Hestia nodded, tears forming in her eyes. "Professor Dumbledore was a great man, and a great teacher. Great teachers are good at making people think of things. The world's a worse place without him." Hestia insisted she wanted to be alone for awhile for and shooed Dudley and Vera out of the kitchen.

"Dudley," roared Vernon, "pack your things! We're leaving!"

"I beg your pardon?" Dudley said.

"What, why?" Vera wanted to know.

Vernon ignored Vera and said, "We're better off taking our chances back at home. Harry isn't there now. There's nothing they could want from us."

Dudley shrugged, appearing unconcerned. "Then you can take your chances on your own. These people have risked their lives for us and I'm not going to run out on them. But you go on. I'm sure they'll be happy to be shot of you."

Vernon's face had turned pale with shock. His voice was barely a whisper when he said, "How dare you speak to me like that? You, Dudley?" Vernon's face turned bright red. "Boy, I've been too easy on you. It's time I showed you who's boss. You'll pack your things be back down here in half an hour, or we leave your things behind and I drag you out the door."

"You're welcome to try." Dudley did something then that Vernon would never have expected in a million years; he put up his dukes.

"No, Dudley!" Vera grabbed his arm. "Your father only thinks he's doing what's right. If you fight him over it, you'll regret it."

"But he's wrong!"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean you should fight! That won't solve anything."

Vernon nodded with an important, justified air. "Thank you, Vera. Now come along, Dudley."

"No," said Dudley. "If we leave, they'll see and if they don't catch us, they'll think these people helped us escape."

Petunia said, "Vernon, sit down." Vernon turned in shock and Petunia continued. "These people...we can't escape them. They can follow us anywhere we go. It's better if we don't separate."

Vernon was mortified. "Petunia, you can't honestly say that we should continue putting up with this nonsense?"

"I don't like it any more than you, but these...people...here are only interested in our welfare, and as for those...those..."

"Lunatics?" Vernon offered helpfully.

"Precisely...well, we don't know what strange, sordid things goes through their minds, do we? How do we know they won't come after us?"

Vernon threw his hands in the air in frustration. "Oh, then what are we supposed to do? We can't sit here for the whole blasted season, or however long this nonsense takes to sort. We'll go mad, we will; bloody stir crazy!"

From somewhere underneath a pile of clothes, or some kind of cloth, on the couch, Magellan's muffled voice said, "We could have a sing-along."

The deranged look on Vernon's face had frozen and lost some of its intensity when Magellan spoke. He said, "Pardon me. You, me, and Dudley; we'll go mad. Those three: obviously, they're already mad." He then smiled brightly. "They'll go sane!"

Almost on queue, Magellan's muffled voice sang, "'What do you do with a drunken sailor early in the mornin'?'" Vera couldn't stop herself from laughing. It was like everyone suddenly had permission to laugh. Dudley was the next to laugh, whether he was laughing at Magellan's woefully timed concert, or whether Vera's giggle-fit was contagious. Whatever the reason, Petunia caught it next. What sounded at first like a series of rapid-fire hiccups was actually Petunia laughing. Vernon looked around in disbelief and it seemed as if he it wasn't going to catch, but Magellan was now singing "Any Port in a Storm", oblivious to the cacophony and Vernon snorted and began to laugh wheezily.

During the moment, Dudley managed to sneak another book under his sweater. When he was finally alone in his room, he took a look at the book. It was called, "The Fundamental Secrets of Alchemy" by Nicholas Flamel. This seemed precisely what he had been searching for: an instructional book that would teach him the beginning of this magical course. He opened and read.

"Many may ponder why a man who has accomplished so much would feel the need to add to the list of rudimentary instructional materials already available when I have so obviously (at least to those who know only of my accomplishments) discovered the secrets of the universe. My answer is simply that nobody discovers the answers to his or her quest. The universe discloses its secrets during the quest and never at the destination. For those of us who take that journey, we must invariably discover that our efforts are for naught if we cannot recall the first steps we took, and in doing so, guide those who are new to the quest in their first steps."

Dudley quickly scanned the rest of the foreword and realized that it was merely an acknowledgment of critics, family, and fans. He turned to the introduction.

"If you open this book seeking to learn the secrets of magic, close it now. It cannot help you. Yet, if you are willing open your mind to amazing possibilities, all may not be lost. For I tell you alchemy is science, but it may very well be the science of magic. You will learn the five (yes, five, not four) elements not just in name but in every aspect in which they can be perceived and manipulated. Be forewarned that your goals as an alchemist are varied. Disillusion yourself of turning lead into gold. Even the greatest of sorcerers are befuddled and confounded by alchemy."

Dudley read through, enraptured, until after two pages, the explanations of what alchemy was and was not ended. The book was not that old, having only been written in the eighties. The next pages described the four elements, compared them with the muggle table of elements and explained why those were not correct elemental assignments. "Helium is explosive and hydrogen is not, true enough, but these are both air elements. What science fails to see is that all of these so-called elements are born of the key elemental material and not the other way around, as they suppose. This is the fifth elemental aspect; quintessence, or more commonly, spirit. These periodic elements are functions of their respective elements."

Dudley read the Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus, and charts and charts of the different aspects of the elements and how they came to be. Then came the instruction in the creation and use of distillers, and of a magical furnace. Dudley realized that everything he needed to conduct alchemical experiments was in the forbidden room. First, he continued to read. Halfway through the book, he found something that truly impressed itself upon his mind.

"Remember, your goal should be the harnessing of quintessence. If you've obeyed the course material presented herein, then you have already created the following examples of quintessence: alcohol (surely, you've heard it referred to as "spirit"), perfume, effervescent water (soda). When you create these spirits, you are essentially extracting the magical essence from a form of the earth element, plant material. You need to be able to make your materials for future magical workings, and that will mean being able to extract magical essence from other materials."

That caught Dudley's attention, and as he read on, it confirmed that, indeed, if he learned alchemy, he could literally take the magical essence of any substance, store in an appropriate container, like a crystal or gemstone, and have in his possession an object containing a programmed magical spell. He realized why an accomplished sorcerer such as Magellan would take an interest in such a science. If he was in a fight, he wouldn't have to draw his wand. There would be no fear of his opponent hearing and countering what was cast. He could simply take a magic crystal, activate it, and it would cast instantly, with the opponent having no idea what was cast until it was already in effect, and thus too late. True this was a small part of alchemy, and Flamel regarded it as merely incidental, but Dudley was sure that there were plenty of wizards and witches who would assign it much greater import. He pushed the thought from his mind. The mere suggestion bespoke of abuse of power. What would Vera think of him?

Indeed, that got him thinking. Truly, what would Vera think of him? He could easily imagine himself fending off an army of Death Eaters with a supply of alchemical stones and Vera looking on with awestruck eyes. He imagined Raisa running up. "Sir, you is a hero, you is!"

It was late at night and Dudley was sure everyone was asleep when there was a knock at his door. He hid the book and called for whoever it was to come in. The door opened to reveal Magellan behind it. He came in with his swagger that vaguely reminded Dudley of Mic Jagger. Closing the door gently behind him, he said, "I'm sure your parents would deeply disapprove of your reading material."

Dudley was startled and tried to maintain his innocence as he said, "My reading material?"

"Yes, you're a lousy liar and a lousy shoplifter. I've seen you whisking those books up here. It's fortunate for you that your parents would fail to observe a freight train roaring through the living room."

"You were under a pile of clothes when I took the last book."

Magellan smiled and said, "I'm not as think as you drunk I am." He looked down to the cover that was hiding Flamel's book. "Pull it out." Dudley did as instructed. "That man wrote hundreds of books, hundreds, but never about what anybody wanted to read. You see, he was born in the 1500s and he wrote that book in the 1980s."

"But that's impossible."

"I know. He never would explain it. He created the Sorcerer's Stone, the absolute goal of any alchemist. As long as he had it, he could make all the gold he wanted, he could live forever, but very recently, he was forced to destroy it. Many alchemists blame Harry Potter for it, but we really know that it was Vol-You-Know-Who's fault."

Dudley looked down at the book. "He never explained how he created it?"

"No. Nobody would ever read his books because of it, but still, he wrote them. I think he was right. I mean, it's like reading the last page of a mystery novel first. What's the point of alchemy if you already know how to make the bloody stone? That book, right there, the one you're holding, that's the definitive volume on the study of alchemy. That is the ultimate apprentice's handbook. You need magic to do much of what is in that book, but don't worry. If you don't have it now, you sure will by the time you're done with those lessons. How would you like to start coming down nights and learning those lessons while your mum and dad's snoozing?"

Dudley couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I sure would, sir!"

Magellan nodded. "There are witches and wizards and potion-makers and apothecaries everywhere, but alchemists are rare. It's a dying art and it's one of the very few wizard arts that muggles can do and become masters. You keep the book. It's yours."

"No magic, a regular simple muggle, and I can become a master?"

"Oh, yes. Saint Germaine was a fine example of a muggle to become an alchemist, one of the most celebrated in history, right up there with Nicholas Flamel."

Dudley barely slept that night, letting his imagination run wild. He kept having to resist the urge to pull the book out and keep reading. He never really got a chance to dream being in out of sleep so much but he thought he might have been dreaming about a chemistry lab in a dungeon. He would know better than to pester Magellan in view of his parents, but he found himself talking to Vera about it through the coming days. Usually, they were alone in the study, where Magellan rarely was, and nor was anyone else.

"How do you feel about the possibility?" she asked.

Dudley said, "I don't know, really. I'm not sure what I want. I was never very bright in school. I'm lousy with math and all that rubbish."

"Well, maybe you just needed the right subject to interest you. Maybe we could learn together. Do you think that would help?"

Dudley smiled and said, "I think it would. It's really something though."

"What is that?"

"You're so easy to talk to."

"It's always easier to talk to someone who lets you speak your mind." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

Dudley could feel his cheeks burning and he wasn't sure how to react. His cheek had gone numb where she kissed him as the blood drained. Whatever he was thinking, he never had the chance to say it as his mother walked in. Petunia couldn't stand the place any longer and been in a cleaning frenzy. When she spotted Vera and Dudley alone and seated on the single love seat in the room, she pursed her lips, her eyes looking daggers at Vera.

Petunia strode up to Dudley and dropped two books on the table next to them. Neither of them were book that Magellan had given him, but both were books that he had been reading, both on alchemy. "Can you explain these?" She looked over at Vera as if it was her fault.

Dudley said, "Well, me game's been on the fritz since we came here so I was looking for something to do. Mag's got plenty of books so I'm reading."

"This reading material is absolutely unacceptable."

"Why? It's just science. The books even say so. There's no magic involved."

"Just so, I don't want you reading them, and from now on, I'm doing daily checks to make sure you're not." She looked sharply at Vera. "And you're encouraging him."

Vera looked torn between shame and laughter. "I know, right? Terrible crime that, encouraging reading."

"This reading material is completely unacceptable! I will thank you to let me mind my own family and keep your nose out of it."

Dudley said, "Well, which do you prefer, mother? A friend that encourages me to read and use my imagination, or the ones back home that I run around with and terrorize the neighborhood?"

"Don't you take that tone with me."

"You're out of line."

"I beg your pardon?"

"My decisions are my own and you've no right attacking someone who's got nothing to do with it. That's out of line, plain and simple. I'd be reading with or without her encouragement. She's got nothing to do with it. You've got no call to take the mickey out of her about it."

Petunia leaned in threateningly. "Well, then I'll have to keep an extra-close watch, won't I?" She turned back to Vera. "My request stands. I'll mind my own and you mind yours." With that, she stormed out.

Vera said, "Thanks for sticking up for me."

Dudley shook his head. "If only she could see herself."


	5. The First Fury

The days wore on normally, but the fear of the Death Eaters never diminished, at least not in the minds of Magellan and Hestia. Still, things went on with some semblance of normalcy, as normal as such could be under the circumstances. Dudley continued to spend the majority of his time with Vera and together, they made arrangements to begin their studies in alchemy. It took three days before Magellan finally told them he was ready.

Meanwhile, all were well aware that they were being watched and she would periodically have the Dursleys and Vera hide inside of the trunk. On each occasion, Dudley noted the forbidden room becoming more and more organized. Once, Hestia's paranoia proved accurate, and they hid just in time for a single officer of the ministry to do a random search of the house. The danger having passed, the muggles and Vera left the trunk warily. The house had certainly changed since the fall of the ministry. It was as clean as the Dursley's home, and every book was back in their proper place on the shelves of Magellan's study, sorted alphabetically by subject.

Petunia's fears of Raisa had finally abated and gave way to complaints. She could often be heard muttering her irritation. "For a servant, she certainly leaves this place a mess." It didn't take her long to confront Magellan. "Mr. Haydn, I must protest. I cannot see what it is that Raisa does here that is of particular value, accept of course, cook. You'd think she does little else."

Magellan gave Petunia an exasperated look as he defended Raisa. "She works diligently and tirelessly. She is, however, getting on in years, and she can't quite keep up with the needs of the house anymore. I used to make her take it easy, but it would upset her so much. She thought I was growing tired of her. Do not be hard on her Petunia, she's just not so young anymore."

"Be that as it may, if she is unable to maintain the property, then perhaps you should employ a new one instead."

"That would mean dismissing her, and I simply couldn't do that. Poor thing might have a heart attack."

Petunia let it lie at that, and it was clear she considered the subject settled but she continued to maintain the house even as Raisa never ceased with her own work. The very night after the random visit from the ministry, Magellan had secretly added a light sleeping potion to Vernon and Petunia's dinner, ensuring that their nighttime activities would go uninterrupted, and when the time came, Dudley was willing and ready.

Dudley read the warning sign once more as he and Vera entered the forbidden room. "Have a lot of trouble with trespassers, do you?" asked Dudley. It was after midnight, and he and Vera had their first scheduled lesson with Magellan.

Magellan laughed. "I only put that sign up when I learned I would be having muggles over for company, and yes, if any of you had come in here uninvited, you would have spent a full 24 hours as a toad. Alchemy is delicate work. Not even Severus Snape's precious potions require such a precise hand. That is the first rule. Never touch a distiller or a furnace until it is finished. Depending on what they are doing, just getting near one can disrupt an operation."

There were metal cabinets lining one of the walls, and as Magellan spoke, Dudley realized that there must have been distillers in some of those cabinets, protected from the possibility of someone getting too close. The room was also organized. All of the clutter that Dudley had seen on his impromptu visit had gone.

Magellan stood and squared his shoulders. "Speaking of delicate operations, let me see your hands."

Vera held out hers, which were a bit larger than one might have expected, but still relatively small. Magellan nodded approvingly. Observing Dudley's hands, he said, "You've got a pair of smoked hams there. They shouldn't be an obstacle, but their size will make your work a bit cumbersome."

He stood before them and gestured to the table, where two chairs, two books and writing materials were waiting. When Dudley and Vera sat, Magellan said, "Now then, tonight, we must gain a basic understanding of nature before we can work with materials. Now is the time to decide how serious you are about this. You'll find my lessons to be much like school work, and alchemy can, at times, be just as frustrating and dull as any other course. Everyone's determined then?

"Then let us begin. The mysteries of the universe are spread before us. Every time we open a book, every time we observe nature, every time we dream, we unravel those mysteries just a little more. Wizards and witches cast spells, muggles rely upon technology, but none of it works without science. It's not enough that wands can do magic. It's not enough electricity can do much. There is a physical law behind it all. Alchemy divines these physics. Through these observations we learn the nature of the world around us and our own nature, and can learn to harness them in ways never dreamed."

Dudley and Vera chanced a glance at each other. Dudley saw excitement dance in Vera's eyes as Magellan elucidated the potential of alchemy.

"It is the divine science and how we come to understand all things, beginning with the beginning. Open your books, and prepare to take notes."

Dudley and Vera obeyed, each putting a ballpoint pen to paper.

"The first element is water. From it comes all life. Nothing can exist without water. The next element is fire. Fire creates light and when light meets water, the other two elements are created: air above, and earth below. You will see that all things contain a bit of each of the elements."

Dudley wrote everything down diligently. His hand quickly began to ache, having never written so much in his life. This wasn't like any other lesson he ever had. He had worried he would grow bored of this this course as he did with every other academic intensive course, but this kept staying interesting. The next night saw him and Vera pureeing and cataloging various fruits, vegetables, and other edible plants, and learning what type of quintessence they produce when distilled. The branch of alchemy that dealt with distilling and extracting essence from plant material was known as spagyrics.

Now, Dudley, having explained the situation to Magellan, kept his book in the lab when he wasn't in his room at night. Much to his parent's consternation, Dudley and Vera had begun wandering off to explore the house. They had found secret passages in the cellar, one of which led to a strange stone shelter in the woods.

Magellan said, "That's an invasion shelter. During the Second World War, there was concern that Hitler and Grindlewald would invade England, so the British government preemptively established a civilian rebellion who would carry out operations from these little shelters. They would launch attacks against invading troops and flee into various houses. The Nazis, finding no rebels and nothing incriminating, would end up frustrated in trying to flush out the rebels. It never happened of course. We managed to keep them off of English soil, but we didn't know at the time whether or not we could so we built those little shelters."

Dudley asked, "Who was Grindlewald?"

"An evil, dark wizard that helped the Germans during the war."

It was on a Wednesday, twelve days after the fall of the ministry and the Dursley's escape into the trunk, that agents of the Dark Lord came to Magellan's door. Magellan didn't open the door, but simply called out, "What can I do for you?"

"Inspection," said a woman. Hestia rushed to get everyone to safety.

"What kind of inspection?"

The door blew open, sending Magellan sprawling to the floor and Death Eaters apparated into the house, blocking the Dursley's and Vera from escape. Dudley did as he was told, bringing Vera with him, protectively keeping her close. Vernon and Petunia huddled around their son, whimpering pitiably. Bulstrode was there, and so was the ugly motorcycle man. The bulky blond fellow was there. Then a woman entered the room. She dressed in robes of green velvet with emerald buttons. She was beautiful in a frightening and awesome way. Her age was difficult to tell. She appeared to be in her thirties but carried herself as if she were at least a decade older. She was completely bald with runic tattoos covering her scalp. One eye was green and one was blue. She wore ornate rings upon her right hand, her hand hand, two of the rings covering her forefinger and index finger and ending in ornate brass claws.

"Magellan Haydn," she said in a regal, crystal clear voice. She scanned the room. "Hestia Jones. Three muggles. One mudblood."

Vernon found the courage to speak. "Madam, I demand that you-"

The woman's wand was out quicker than anyone could see. "Silencio."

Magellan said, "Agnes, I'm afraid you've miscounted."

Agnes glanced over to Magellan, "Not that the word of a blood traitor matters, but how so?"

"There are four muggles, and no muggle-born."

"Oh, please, the little mudblood is right there."

Vera made a slight squeaking noise, her terror palpable. Dudley tried to shield her as best as he could, but knew that even his girth wouldn't hide her from these despicable people. With a jerk of her wand, Agnes easily separated Vera from Dudley.

"Take her wand."

Bulstrode roughly manhandled Vera. She twisted Vera's arm behind her causing her to jerk involuntarily. Bulstrode said, "She's resisting."

Dudley stepped forward. "She's not resisting, you're hurting her."

Agnes pointed her wand at Dudley. "Silencio." Dudley felt his voice completely leave him. It was like the worst laryngitis he had ever had. Agnes pointed her wand at Vera and said, "Crucio."

Vera fell to the floor, screaming in agony, her body writhing and convulsing. Agnes held the curse for a horribly long time. At first one of the male Death Eaters was holding Dudley back, then it took both of them.

It was Petunia that screamed, "Please stop! That's enough!"

Agnes looked at Petunia as if she were puzzling a child's riddle. After another moment, she lifted her wand. Vera's screams stopped and she laid where she was, her limbs twitching, her breath shallow. Bulstrode searched the girl thoroughly, turned her over and finally said, "She doesn't have a wand, Ms. Fury."

Now, Agnes Fury looked irritated. She held her wand over Vera and after a moment, growled, "There is no trace of magic on her." Magellan had a triumphant look on his face. Agnes rounded on him. "Well, you may have earned your little mudblood friend a reprieve, but there is ample evidence here to take both you and Mrs. Jones before the Wizengamut."

"Please, Agnes," said Magellan. "It wasn't like that. They lost their home. We were just trying to give people in need a bit of shelter."

Agnes' face remained hard. "This isn't a game, Haydn. What do you think is going on here?" Agnes squared her shoulders and examined everyone in the room. Vernon was cowering in terror. Petunia covered her mouth with her hands, horrified. Dudley wore an expression of defiance. "Two blood-traitors harboring three muggles and a mudblood; what is that, Haydn? What do you think the charge is for that?"

Magellan said, "It was my understanding that I could invite anyone I wanted into my own house short of a fugitive from justice. Then again, I never thought you were big on wizard class, so there goes my judgment out the window."

Agnes turned to the Death Eaters and said, "Go from room to room. Catalog everything. Try to find the girl's wand. Without it, we can't prove she's doing magic. We can prove she's a mudblood, but the wand will be key."

Vera turned to Agnes, her face pale, and asked, "May I make a suggestion." Agnes raised an eyebrow and nodded. "If you think I do magic, then surely I've trained at Hogwarts. That ought to be all the proof you need."

Agnes nodded and shrewd smile crossed her face. "You're awfully clever, but you should know that since it was all over the Prophet, student records for the past decade have gone missing. That stuck in the craw of old Dolores. She's had a plethora of smart-ass mudbloods throwing that one in her face. You choose your next words very carefully unless you want to feel my wand again." Vera looked away and said nothing. "Very wise choice. I was beginning to wonder if you had any sense of self-preservation at all."

Bulstrode came downstairs and said, "I checked all of their rooms. The muggles got nothing. The mudblood had a bunch of Daily Prophets in her room, and I found a bunch of Weasley joke stuff."

"Her wand?"

"Not a trace, mum."

The big Death Eater who had the motorcycle came back and said, "I found a lab with a bunch of notes."

Agnes said, "That will be Magellan's alchemy lab. Did you risk searching it?"

"No. I was too afraid something would blow up."

The last Death Eater came down with a broomstick and said, "I found this in one of the bedrooms."

Agnes' eyes lit up and she took the broom, balancing it in her hand. She looked around the room, a cat with her pick of the mice. "This is a Firebolt." She looked at Vera. "Cower if you wish, but nothing will convince me that this broom belonged to the likes of you. I do wish it did, as it would be all the proof I needed that you were doing illegal magic. Alas, there is only one person this could belong to."

Hestia said, "And how do you know it don't belong to one of my cousins?"

"Considering that you are pure-blood and Harry Potter is half-blood, there is a very strong chance that he is one of your cousins. Keep your idiotic comments to yourself." She held the broom up as if brandishing a torch in the night. "There is no point in refuting the ownership of this broom. It is a Firebolt. It is an international standard racing broom. It has a lifetime warranty backed by the Ministry of Magic, meaning that it is registered with the Department of Magical Sports. If you make me go all the way to London to confirm the ownership of this broom, I will have to come back, and I will be irritated."

Magellan said, "It's not like it matters. Hestia, you may as well tell her."

Hestia nodded. "You're right. That is Harry's broom. He lost it over Surrey a week before you lot took over. I retrieved it brought it here."

"And where is he now?"

"No clue. He's gone on the run, he has. Nobody knows where he is."

Bulstrode pounded the palm of her hand and said, "Let me ask her, boss."

"No, she's telling the truth." She held the broom out in front of her, examining it, obviously trying to decide if it was useful as evidence. She looked the Dursleys over and said, "These are Harry's family, aren't they?"

A loud whimper came from Petunia. Agnes smiled and approached her. Her face was within inches of Petunia's face. "My, my, my...it's vague, but it's there. I see Lily Potter in that face." She turned to Dudley and examined him, taking careful note of his size, undoubtedly wondering how much of a problem he would be if he became violent. "I don't recognize anything there." She turned and examined Vernon. "Are you sure you're entirely human, sir? I keep thinking you may be vaguely related to some sort of hippopotamus."

Vernon, still unable to speak, stopped cowering and frowned in surprise. His eyes narrowed in indignation and tried very hard to express his discontent. Agnes handed the broom to Petunia. "The fugitive's family should hang on to his belongings." Petunia gingerly took the broom, acting as if it might attack her.

She turned back to Magellan and said, "We are watching Haydn. These muggles are not to leave this house unless escorted by you or Mrs. Jones, and they are to return here before nightfall. Vera Rostum is a mudblood. Just because you've hidden her wand doesn't mean I can't come here and mutilate her to my heart's content." She wheeled toward Vera and brandished her wand like a sword. "Sectumsempra!"

Vera screamed and clutched her left hand. She sprung onto her knees and scooted towards Dudley. The Death Eaters released him and he held Vera protectively. Agnes watched the scene dispassionately. She directed the Death Eaters to leave and instantly, they were all gone. Magellan lifted the curses on Dudley and Vernon.

Dudley said, "She's hurt bad."

Hestia was a pale shade of green as she ran over and turned Vera away from Dudley. Vera was bleeding profusely from her hand. Hestia said, "Essence of Murtlap." Magellan bolted to his lab. Hestia tried to separate Vera's hands, but to no avail. "You have to let me see, Vera."

Dudley didn't know what that curse was, but he was pretty sure of what happened to Vera's hand. When Vera finally let Hestia see her hand, Dudley said, "You can fix it right? You can fix her fingers?"

Hestia shook her head. "Not when they've been cursed off."

Magellan ran back in and steered Vera to the dining room. Dudley followed, as did Petunia. Magellan put a bowl of a dark fluid with what appeared to floating tentacles. Vera put her injured hand in the sludge and she breathed deeply.

Hestia said, "There now, I bet that feels better already."

Dudley sat down next to Vera and watched the proceeding. The curse Agnes Fury had used had been savage. It had obliterated two of Vera's fingers and wouldn't allow the wounds to heal. "Who was that horrible woman?" asked Dudley.

Magellan smiled humorlessly. "Young Mister Dursley, you've just met Agnes Fury. She and her sisters, Serena and Leticia, are all three aurors of the ministry. Identical triplets, they are. Where there's one, the other two are close behind."

"Are they Death Eaters?"

"No, but they may as well be. They brutally hunted down Death Eaters during the last war before Harry was born. Now that the Dark Lord is in charge, they're happy to provide their services to him. They aren't particular about who they torture and who they work for as long as they're getting galleons for it. Agnes is the kindest of the three. Leticia would have simply killed Vera the moment she saw her. Serena, on the other hand, would have tortured each and every one of us to death. That's why Agnes is in charge. She has the most subtle hand. If you're wondering, her baldness isn't a fashion statement. None of the Fury sisters can grow hair. Healers have tried finding a solution but to no avail. Oh, they can magically grow hair, but it all falls out after a day or so."

Everyone except Vernon sat at the table, each silent and Hestia ministered to Vera. Vera was pale and shaking badly. She looked as if she were going to be sick. Without a word, Magellan passed a cup of brandy to Vera. She took it hesitantly and examined it. Dudley recalled how she had only had the one glass of mead and of how she had even avoided the butterbeer.

It was Petunia that said, "Drink it. It will make you feel better."

Vera did as she was told and even with the first sips, her color began to return. Hestia took Vera's hand from the murtlap and saw that her wounds had stopped bleeding. She carefully bandaged Vera's hand in a clean white cloth.

"What is it for?" asked Petunia. "Everyone has his own unique perspective, but what is it all for? The girl is seventeen. You say she's of age, but to me she's still a child, and look what just happened. We are the worst type of muggles, but what good are any of your powers if all you can do is sit and watch while a poor little girl, scared out of her wits is tortured and disfigured? She has told us her story. Her parents are like me, and my husband, the worst of muggles, and if she listened to them, she would still be healthy, unharmed, and probably happier. You insist on cultivating these unnatural powers, and that is just fine. If you're going to insist, then be it on your heads, but who gets these powers? If your ilk had simply ignored people like Vera or my sister-"

"Then they'd be treated like freaks by people like you!" shouted Hestia. "The magic doesn't go away if they aren't taught. It gets stronger and more insistent and people like Vera or your sister get locked away and forgotten, abandoned by their own families; people who are supposed to love them! They get locked in the cupboard under the stairs...or if they're like Vera's parents, they'll find the first ass they can marry her off to in order to get rid of her as fast as possible. Or worse, something about the magic breaks and they become dangerous, unable to control the magic as it explodes out of them. They deserve better. You and your ilk are shouting nonsense. You think these kids can live a normal life, and it's you who's living in the fairy tale; not us. You're the only one here there's an easy answer for."

"So then what are you going to do when they come back, and they will come back? You'll watch again and next time they will probably take her or kill her. They'll probably take us all. This girl is only seventeen. How can you let this happen to her?"

Hestia kept her voice calm and even. "Mrs. Dursley, I appreciate your position, but I wonder if you can see that you are only making our immediate problems worse? There is no point in shouting about how helpless we are when one of our own has been tortured and wounded."

"But you're not helpless! That's just it! You're not helpless! You have wands too! How hard can it be to protect one little girl who's depending on you?"

Vera spoke sharply, causing everyone to jump. "They must be doing something right then. I'd be dead if they'd have found my wand. I still don't know how you pulled it off," she said, turning to Magellan.

Magellan said, "It wasn't me. I was bluffing the whole thing."

Dudley pulled Vera's wand from his shirt and it on the table next to her.

Vera looked at it with wide eyes. Hestia was suddenly breathless. Magellan shook his head and grinned. Vera said, "You? If they had found that on me they would have killed me."

Petunia looked at her son in horror. "If they had found that on you, they would have killed you!"

Dudley said, "After everything she told me, I knew they would take her. I didn't know how I could stop them. I figured that if they didn't have any evidence, they might let her go."

Magellan said, "That was a dangerous gamble. Agnes Fury is not one to be trifled with."

Vera looked as if she was fighting back tears. She didn't take her eyes off of Dudley and tears started to spill when she said, "You saved my life. You saved my soul. They would have given me to the dementors."

Dudley shuddered in response to her statement. When Vera reached over and hugged Dudley, Petunia said nothing. She simply stood and left the room. They had wondered if, in the direct face of mortal danger, Vernon might have learned a bit of humility, but his voice carried through the house, proving them all wrong.

"Petunia," they heard him say, "I can't take any more of this. My nerves are shot as it is, now these homicidal maniacs are demanding we stay here. I tell you Petunia, I may just go over the edge. Look at me! Look at my eye. It's twitching. My eye never twitched before Harry came into our lives."

Magellan, with a broad grin on his face, poured another glass of brandy then added a vial of a mysterious liquid and stood to leave the room.

"What are you doing?" asked Dudley.

"I'm giving your father a cup of cheer! A little happiness potion can be quite therapeutic."


	6. Woes, Worries, and Weasleys

When Vernon woke the next day, he woke the whole family, then paced about. Petunia and Dudley waited patiently while the breadwinner of their family said what he clearly intended to say. Magellan's happiness potion had clearly not lasted until morning and now Vernon was in fine form, his face red and his eyes bulging. Dudley was certain this display had something to do with the events of last night. Oh, Vernon had a great deal to carry on about if he would simply spit it out. Instead he would pace a few times, turn to address his family, growl in frustration, pace some more, make another attempt, snarl in frustration, and occasionally mutter an unintelligible complaint.

Finally, he stopped and said, "Everyone is insane! Everyone in the whole bloody household!" He paced twice more and said, "Everyone except me! Only I can see clearly how ludicrous it all is. I wanted to leave. I was ready to go the moment we got here, but no! Nobody wanted to listen to me. 'Oh, Vernon! If we go, they may come after us.' Well they bloody will now, won't they?"

Petunia said evenly, "Well, you're going to have to accept it."

Vernon was flabbergasted. It was clear that he found her statement to be the most stunning pronouncement that he had ever heard. "Accept this intolerable position, and simply deal with a homicidal madwoman looking to add to her collection of fingers, no madam."

"You're going to have to accept it because none of us ever had a choice. None of us. These people rule the country now and they kill law abiding people for sport. There was nothing we could have done before and there's nothing we can do now. Now, we need to stick together, every one of us."

"You can keep these weirdos far away from me, thank you."

"Every one of us."

"And while we're on that subject, Dudley, there are plenty of girls that would be only too pleased to be with a fine young man such as yourself."

"That's what she said," said Dudley, a forlorn expression upon his face, a feeling of solitude washing over him. No, he wasn't going to let his father dictate to him about this.

Petunia said, "Vernon, first romances so rarely last. I doubt anything will come of it."

"But sometimes it does, and I'll take no chances. Son, we have to associate with these weirdos. We have share their house space, but that does not mean I want my son and one of these weirdo girls...doing...being..." he grunted and said, "Playing patty-cake!"

"She has nobody," said Dudley. "Her family's like you."

Vernon stood up straight, looking as if he'd just been slapped. "What is that supposed mean?"

"They're the sort that would stick her in the cupboard under the stairs. She's alone and now she's surrounded by people who want to kill her. I don't think anybody should be turning her out at a time like this. She's my friend and I'll feel like even less of a man if I do something like that."

"Dudley, I am warning you now, boy, any further disrespect will be dealt with severely."

"Yeah? What are you going to do? You going to get me one less present than last year? They were right, all of them. I'm just spoiled rotten. I have parents that never bothered to even raise me."

"I beg your pardon?" Vernon shouted, outraged by the accusation.

"You know Harry talks in his sleep. Mostly, it's gibberish, but there are times he has some pretty bad nightmares. Do you know what he says?"

"And why should I care what nonsense a 17-year-old boy sounds off in his sleep? What has that got to do with anything?"

Dudley smiled and said, "He says, 'Please don't. Don't kill my mum. Not my mum, please.'"

Vernon turned whiter than Dudley had ever seen him. He swallowed hard and said, "Dudley, you can stop that now."

"'Don't kill Cedric. Help, he's killed Cedric and now he's going to kill me.'"

"Dudley, that's enough!"

Dudley regarded his father in silence. Vernon was holding his hands out. His eyes were closed and he he was trying to recompose himself. "Dudley, you don't know these people. You don't understand them."

"Neither do you. That's the problem. That's what's wrong. You say these horrible things and you don't know a thing about them."

"Your mother knows!"

"From spying on her sister and avoiding her like the devil. How can mother have any clearer a view on who these people are when she spent her whole life looking for only the worst?"

"Dudley, I forbid you from having any relations with that girl."

Dudley smiled, then laughed, then shook his head. "It'll be interesting to see how you enforce it." With that, Dudley got up and strode to the door.

Vernon rushed to block him and blocked the door leading out of the bedroom. "Dudley, I am ordering you to do as I say."

"Dad, you can't lock us away, and you can order me to do a lot of things, but you can't tell me how to live."

"Oh, no?"

Dudley reached for the door knob in spite of his father. Vernon for his part, didn't know how to react to what was happening and let himself be shouldered aside. "Petunia," Vernon said, "say something!"

Petunia simply shrugged. Through tears, she said, "What do I say? How do you stop it? It's already gone too far, Vernon." Dudley went through the door and as he closed it, Petunia said, "She's such a pretty little thing." There was a definite touch of dismay in her voice.

Dudley went downstairs and found that Vera was already awake and sat upon Magellan's sofa, or perhaps she had simply never gotten to sleep. She was staring at her bandaged left hand, her expression taut and strained. Two fingers pointed out of the bandage and thumb stuck out beside them. Dudley sat down next to Vera and she looked up, a manic expression on her face. "How did you sleep?"

"Not very well. How about you?"

Vera simply shook her head. She turned and looked back down at her hand. Dudley could feel her shaking next to him. She most certainly hadn't had a very good night. "I tried, but I had nightmares. I can't stop thinking about it. I mean my hand, my fingers. I don't play a musical instrument. I mean, I always wanted to learn, but now it's going to be that much harder. I'm missing a piece of me. You know, it's like having a bur in your shirt: you have this thing that keeps sticking you and you just can't get rid of it."

"I felt bloody useless last night."

Vera looked over and considered him for a moment. "No you weren't."

Dudley smiled halfheartedly. "They pick on whoever can't stand up to them. I used to do that. I know Harry called me a bully. He was right. That stopped a couple years ago. I don't think he ever really realized it but when he saved me from the dementors, I just don't think I had it in me to go out of the house so much. Everyone knew I wasn't feeling so good. I think that I started to feel guilty about what I was doing." They sat in silence for a moment. "You said you didn't really know Harry."

"No, not really."

"He still told you about me."

Vera nodded. "Hestia and Magellan had already rescued me from a group of Death Eaters when Harry asked the Order to protect you. If you think he was particularly mean, then don't worry. He just kept it straight and to the point."

"No, that's not it. I think about the way I've acted all these years. I've alienated my cousin, and now that I'm starting to see things different my parents are disappointed."

"What your parents think of you should be regarded the same as what anyone thinks of you. If you change just to please someone, you're doing yourself and everyone around you a disservice. I like you just the way you are."

Vera turned to stare at her bandaged hand again. Dudley gently took hold of the injured hand, feeling the thick gauze under his hand. Her thumb and two fingers closed around his hand and she brought her other hand around and clasped her hands around his. She leaned her head on his shoulder and said, "I heard your argument with your parents. Your father doesn't seem to like me very much."

"My dad doesn't like anyone very much. You know he and mum made Harry sleep in the cupboard under the stairs for the longest."

"I know. Everyone says." Vera had stopped shaking as she leaned into Dudley's side. She muttered, "Like a big teddy bear." They sat in silence again for a time. Dudley was going to say something, but the rhythm of Vera's breathing told Dudley that she was asleep. It wasn't long before Magellan came downstairs.

In a loud and bright voice, he said, "You're up awfully early, Dudley."

Dudley put a finger to his lips and pointed at Vera. Magellan nodded his understanding. Softly, Dudley said, "You can thank the bellowing walrus for that."

Magellan laughed and in just as soft of a voice said, "Now, now, you shouldn't talk about your father like that, even if it is spot on."

There was a knock on the door, and Dudley and Magellan exchanged dark looks. Magellan moved cautiously to the door. "Who is it?"

"It's Arthur." Magellan breathed a sigh of relief and moved to open the door, but Arthur said, "We need to do the code. The last time you helped de-gnome my garden, how many did you catch?"

Magellan said, "Twelve," and he unlocked the door.

"No, you need to ask me, now. Come on then."

Magellan rolled his eyes and said, "Where does an alchemist do his personal business?"

There was a pause and then, "The Sorcerer's Throne."

Magellan pulled the door open to let Arthur in. Dudley remembered this man, and he remembered the three that accompanied him. He was a middle aged man, his flaming red hair showing signs of male pattern baldness. Indeed, following close behind him were two of his sons, the twins that Dudley remembered and he suddenly had a very strong sense of dread.

Arthur said, "Mag, do you have space for two more?"

Magellan took a glance at the twins and said, "I have my hands full already, Arthur."

"I know, but there's really nowhere. Grimmauld Place is compromised, the Shell Cottage is too small, I mean we could fit them, but Bill and Fleur are still on their honeymoon, I mean they would, and they can't come to my house because I work for the ministry. It's just an impossible situation."

"Well, what's the trouble?"

One of the twins said, "I'll tell you the bloody trouble; You-Know-Who's got no bloody sense of humor. That's the trouble."

"Fred," Arthur admonished. He turned to Magellan and said, "The Death Eaters took a special interest in one of their advertising messages. Apparently, it said 'Why worry about You-Know-Who when you should be worrying about...U-No-Poo.'"

The other twin, with obvious pride, said, "We are undesirables now."

Fred said, "Well, we were always undesirables. It only makes sense that we'd get the ministry's stamp of approval."

George said, "I hear they number them. Wonder what number we are?"

"If we're not one and two, we should be."

Arthur silenced them with a wave of his hand and turned back to Magellan.

Magellan said, "Well, here's no good. The Fury sisters have their hooks sunk into us."

"Travers is watching me and Dolores has taken a special interest. Absolutely all of the other members of the Order are out of the question. You're the only other one that hasn't had to flee his home."

"What about Andromeda?"

"No good. Ted had to go on the lamb, and Bellatrix is making things very hard."

"If they find them here-"

"It'll be no worse than you've already had to go through. Trust me, we've all been through just as bad."

Magellan said, "No worse? Do you know what happened to Vera yesterday?"

"Yes, Agnes was bragging about it when she came back to the office last night." Arthur had a disgusted look on his face. "You know, she was always a nasty piece of work, but I always thought she had some sense of right and wrong. Can you please help, just until we've got a better place?"

Magellan looked at Fred and George and sighed. "Second floor, last door on the right. Please, do not mess with the muggles."

Fred and George turned and directed trunks into the door with their wands and turned to go upstairs and they locked eyes with Dudley. Recognition passed between the three of them instantly. They looked at each other mischievously and Dudley saw that George was missing an ear. They looked back and Fred waived happily. They were about to speak, but Dudley put a finger to his lips and looked pointedly down at Vera.

Fred quietly said, "Well, long time no see...Dudley, right?"

Dudley said, "If you're looking to put so much as crisp in my mouth, you two will need a crowbar."

George said, "Oh, come now. What do you suppose little old us would do?"

"I don't know but they say you have a whole store full of it, now. Tell you what though, I wouldn't mind having some of it for those Death Eater blokes." Dudley explained what happened to Vera.

Fred and George kneeled down close to Dudley and they huddled closer. Fred and George took to speaking in turns. Fred said, "If you really want to make them pay for it," and George continued, "it'll take time and planning." Fred spoke again. "We can't just unload our inventory on them." George finished, "That'll just get us all killed." Fred said, "What have you got?"

"I can box, and Magellan's teaching us alchemy."

George sneered and said, "Oh, well the alchemy, then. That'll be brilliant once you've had a few years, but the boxing we can use now."

Arthur said, "Well, Molly will be down regularly, keeping tabs, you know."

Magellan said, "I'll be happy to host her, especially if she cooks."

Vera stirred as the loud voices filled the room and she looked around, surprised to find she had fallen asleep. She looked up at the three red-headed men hugging each other. She turned to Dudley but as she was about to ask, Arthur left and Fred and George turned back.

"Well, hello, Vera," said Fred, "always a pleasure."

George smiled shrewdly and said, "I think Dudley here agrees." Vera's dark skin brightened to a brilliant red. "You could always hide if you had some Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder."

Vera said, with no small degree of indignity, "You know I have. Bought a bunch of it before I left, didn't I?"

Magellan cleared his throat and everyone turned to him. "Breakfast is in half an hour."

In spite of everything Vernon came down with everyone else, although he was seething. When he saw Fred and George, his eyes bulged so they looked like they'd jump out of their sockets. Nobody expected additions to the table, so Magellan had to explain what happened first to Hestia, then to Petunia. Vernon didn't ask for an explanation, and continued to glower at the twins.

Fred said, "You know, if you keep making those faces, it'll stick like that."

George said, "I think it already has."

Petunia drew her face in tight and looked down into her lap. Dudley and Vera both covered their mouths to keep from laughing. Hestia snorted loudly and then stifled her laughter. Magellan watched the scene unfold as if watching a particularly interesting game of chess.

Vernon growled, "I've got my eye on you."

George said, "It'll be quite literal if you keep that up. I've got a matching ear if you like."

"Don't think I've forgotten what you did to my son."

Fred raised an eyebrow. "Dudley, you alright then?"

Dudley said, "Never better."

Fred shrugged, "It doesn't seem to be bothering him."

Vernon sat there, seething, his eyes bulging.

George said, "See, we told you it'd stick that way."

Be any of that as it may, Dudley was extremely careful during breakfast about what went on his fork and into his mouth. He noticed Vera was being exceptionally careful, too. Having gone to school with these two, it was certain that she had a certain amount of experience with them. The next time they were alone, she would tell him about the canary creams and the nose-bleed nougat. For now, at the breakfast table, Vera began telling Dudley about the Weasley Wizard Wheezes, the store in Diagon Alley. Vernon didn't seem to be listening and Petunia wore a scandalized expression as Vera described the various gag products, costumes, and potions available.

As the meal ended, Magellan disappeared into his lab, Hestia disappeared to the study. Vera left before Dudley, and when Dudley got up shortly after, Vernon dragged him back to the table. "Oh, no you don't. You will stay right here with your proper, respectable family!"

Fred and George finished eating last and as they left, George sidled up to Dudley and surreptitiously put a lump of something in his hand. George bent and whispered into Dudley's ear. "Free sample; Weasley's Whirling Woozy Powder. It's loaded with the best confundus charms known to magic; guaranteed to create so much confusion for anybody but the user that for the span of thirty minutes nobody can even remember their own names. Plenty of time for them to forget what they're on about." With that, George and Fred left to tend to their own devices.

Vernon was frantically trying to find Dudley's hands. "What was that? What did he give you?" Vernon was trying so hard to get the powder away from Dudley that the pack accidentally tore open. Rather than let himself fall victim to its effects, he flung it into the air and in the confusion it caused, he fled the dining room and went in search of Vera.


	7. Mayhem at the Ministry

(Author's note: yes, I know I don't usually do author's notes, but please do me the privilege tonight, because I had to tell any of the fans of my stories that I've been writing a story about one of the OCs I just introduced here. In truth, in writing this story, I know pretty much how I want it to go. Still, I don't usually plan out fanfics the way I plan out my original work. While I do keep a note here and there about where I want a story to go, I usually don't put a great deal of effort into laying down track, and Along the Other Road is no exception. I always knew that Dudley was going to encounter a character like Persephone Raven and that that character would play a major role in the events to come, but then, as I had begun writing Persephone's story, I decided, "Well, why can't it be Persephone Raven." So instead of creating a character like her, I put her into this story. Her story is called "Penance" and I'll publishing the first chapter directly. I do hope you take a liking to it. Persephone Raven is one of my favorite creations, partly because she's such a disturbing character. Well, you're going to meet her in this chapter, and if she is intriguing enough to seek out more of her, take a look at "Penance". Well, enough of my gibberish. On with the tale.)

The tunnels around the house were more extensive than Dudley and Vera had thought. They had found a total of three secret passages leaving Magellan's house, and in them they found artifacts directly connecting them to the 1940s. Apparently all of these tunnels had been intended for use in an anti-Nazi resistance. They found crates containing old signal flares, canned rations, and they also found (both Vera and Dudley took great care to avoid it when they realized what it was) a crate full of unused claymore mines. Under ordinary circumstances they might have contacted bomb disposal, but since that would have meant a call to the authorities, that would have chanced a visit from the Death Eaters. That, and they hadn't ruled out the possibility of fighting back. They weren't about to give up potential weapons, but they knew would need to tell Magellan.

Putting the lids back on the crates, and continued to explore the tunnels for what seemed like hours. They found that all three tunnels connected to each other. It was a network with the one tunnel leading from the house to the resistance hideout and the other two tunnels leading from the house to a nearby town. The first tunnel led into a mechanic's garage from an apparent sewer grate. The other tunnel led into the basement of what they surmised was a hardware store since they found new tools, PVC pipes, and lumber stored there.

While they were taking a break, Vera said, "You know, there's enough food in that one crate to last us a couple of weeks if we ever have to hide down here. I'm just saying if the worst should happen."

The guilt Dudley had felt at his inability to protect her came back in waves. He didn't mean to dwell on it but he just couldn't help it. He had tried to defend her the best he could but he was really powerless to do anything. He had saved her life, and that was immensely satisfying, but he couldn't stop her being tortured or maimed.

"Dudley, you don't have to worry. They had us cold yesterday. We were all helpless. If they ever catch me in a fair fight, I promise they have themselves a fight they will never forget on their hands."

Dudley said, "You know, I'm not a very brave person. This magic; it scares me. I'm a boxer. I use my fists. I can't use them against magic."

"Maybe not against magic, but the person using it, you can."

"If I had fought, maybe they wouldn't have..."

Vera put a finger to his lips. "We were as helpless as we could be. You did more than anyone would have thought to do." She smiled. "Choose your fights carefully." She leaned in putting her lips to his.

Electricity seemed to fill him and all of his senses failed him. After a moment, she moved on, resuming her exploration. For a moment, Dudley stared after her, then followed, as if set on autopilot. He felt like he was in control of nothing, but this was very different from how felt moments ago. Instead of depression, there was an intense euphoria, and all of the problems of yesterday seemed far behind him.

When they got back, they learned the aftermath of the Weasley's Whirling Woozy Powder, how Vernon had mistaken Hestia for Petunia. Dudley couldn't get details, but apparently the incident ended with Hestia's wand drawn and Magellan wearing the full gear of a hockey goalie. The Dursley's had been cured, but couldn't remember anything that transpired through breakfast, a fact for which Dudley was ever so grateful. Fred and George had received a stern lecture from Magellan, but it was obvious that nobody was overly bothered about the incident.

That night, they had resumed their alchemy lessons, the day having brought nothing evil with it. The next day turned out much the same and Dudley and Vera had begun to regularly haunt the old resistance tunnels, in complete disregard of the danger a 50-year-old unmaintained tunnel could pose. Regardless, there were no collapses and the sections of tunnel that looked like they might collapse were obviously in disrepair, whether viewed by Vera's wand light or by Dudley's torch lamp. They were easy enough to shore up, once Magellan showed them how to do so, using lumber purchased from the hardware store, and a floor jack.

Vera pantomimed waving a wand and said, "Why don't we just do that?"

Magellan said, "Because you need to learn not to completely rely on magic. A little hard work is good for you." After putting a freezing charm on the crate with the mines to make certain they didn't accidentally detonate, he set to work helping Vera and Dudley shore up the weakened sections of the tunnel.

Dudley had so rarely in his life done any hard work that he found it more challenging than he probably should have. Though all of his sensibility insisted he shouldn't have to do this sort of work, he successfully refrained from complaining. By the time he had finished his first section of tunnel, his muscles were sore and protesting the exertion. Still, not wanting to be told off for laziness, he extracted the jack from under the new support frame and moved on to the next weak section. What made the work doubly hard was that the tunnels, even in proper order, weren't quite tall enough to stand up in, and yet not low enough to justify crawling.

So far, the secret tunnels were kept between Vera, Dudley, and Magellan. They, all three had a feeling that everyone in the house would be needing them in short order, and the mines may well come in handy also.

The next day brought the first real shock since Vera's torture. They were all enjoying breakfast (all except Vernon, who never seemed to enjoy anything) when George brought in the Daily Prophet. "Everyone, you have got to see this."

Fred took the paper and took one glance at it, his eyes becoming as large as galleons. "No bloody way!"

Hestia took the paper, shrieked then threw it at Magellan, who caught it out of midair. Vera and Dudley ran around to see what it contained.

**HARRY POTTER RAIDS THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC**

**By Wally Leech**

**Harry Potter and two unidentified accomplices yesterday morning entered the Ministry of Magic, using polyjuice potion and posing as three ministry officials. It is uncertain what they were after, but the apparent intent was robbery and vandalism as one accomplice did tremendous damage one Mr. Traver's office, and Harry Potter was seen making off with a locket belonging to Dolores Umbridge and a highly experimental surveillance device from her office. The three officials they posed as were found unconscious and brutally assaulted. The auror office urges anyone with information leading to the whereabouts of Potter or the identity and/or whereabouts of his accomplices to contact them immediately.**

Magellan smiled and said, "I notice what they're not saying here."

Vernon said, "What, that my nephew is a hooligan and a criminal that stoops to petty theft and vandalism?"

Magellan eyed him curiously and said, "Of course not. This story is obviously intended to make Potter look like the bad guy. No, what this story is neglecting to mention is that Potter and his friends walked into the Ministry of Magic right under the Death Eater's noses, into the lion's den, the last place on Earth that Harry Potter would ever in his right mind want to go, found whatever it was he was looking for, and left them in his dust. They don't want to admit that. I'm surprised they even let the story run. Of course they had to. They have to find him after all, and they have to show everyone just what a villain he is. The question becomes, why? What was Potter after, and why is the Ministry so bent that they risk running a story about what Potter is up that makes them look bad to in the Daily Prophet? Fred, George, see if you can't pick up a copy of today's Quibbler. That might tell us a bit more."

George said, "We can try to catch an episode of Potterwatch."

"Potterwatch?" asked Magellan, his eyes narrowed in curiosity.

Fred said, "It's an anti-Ministry radio program. It isn't always on-well, they need to keep on the move in case the Death Eaters find them-but they're all in support of Harry and all about reporting on the Death Eaters and You-Know-Who."

Magellan nodded. "Pirate radio, hmm. Radio's in the living room. You're welcome to try finding it. The rest of us need to get ready."

Vernon shouted, "Ready for what? We haven't done anything."

"It doesn't matter. The Death Eaters will be on the warpath. Anyone they don't like can expect a visit from them over the next few days. We need to be beyond their scrutiny when they arrive, and they will arrive, rest assured. Vera, if I were you, I'd hide that wand somewhere outside the house. You know where."

Vera nodded and left at once. Fred went hard to work with the radio, turning the knob and muttering things under his breath like, "Mad-Eye," and "Snuffles". George left, obviously heading into town.

Magellan said, "We need a way into town that doesn't draw attention. Those tunnels won't do as they lead into businesses, but maybe we can make another exit." He continued to speculate, mostly to himself, but would occasionally mutter something aloud.

When Vera returned, Dudley saw the smudge of dirt on her forehead indicating where she had hidden her wand. Rather than do their usual exploration, Dudley and Vera waited for any news that Fred or George may uncover. They waited with bated breath, expecting to see George return at any moment, but dreading that the Death Eaters might call at any time, wishing to take out their frustration on whomever they could find. Fred kept trying the radio: "Tonks", "Shrieking Shack".

Vernon and Petunia had no need to get ready as their general loathing of magic would prevent them from doing anything the Death Eaters disliked. Dudley hadn't kept anything in his room that his mother might find, and anything questionable he was doing was being carefully guarded by Magellan. He didn't even put his name on his notes, knowing full well that that would be an admission of guilt. Vera was the one who needed to be careful. She was a muggle-born witch and filled her life almost exclusively with the culture of the wizarding world, but with Hestia's help, she had already cleared her room of anything remotely linking her to magic. She didn't seem complete without one of her Weird Sisters shirts, but Dudley knew it was necessary.

Finally, George returned with a magazine in his hand. George held it up and said, "Immediate release: breaking news." He opened the magazine and read from it.

**HARRY POTTER AND THE HALFWITS OF THE MINISTRY**

**By Xenophilius Lovegood**

**If you've been reading the Daily Prophet-and let's face it, why would you read the Daily Prophet?-then you may have run across a little piece about the Ministry's Undesirable Number One breaking into the Ministry of Magic and causing mayhem and mass destruction. According to the Ministry, Harry Potter is a delusional miscreant who murdered Albus Dumbledore, possibly even murdered his parents at the tender age of one, and led tender and impressionable young minds to break the law by learning how to defend themselves.**

**Harry Potter is branded as a menace to society,**

**...Or is he?**

**Two years ago, this periodical ran an interview with Harry Potter in which he claims that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had returned to power and murdered one Cedric Diggory in the process. Now let's look at the facts. During this entire time that the Dark Lord was returning to power, the Ministry of Magic staunchly denied that anyone remotely resembling You-Know-Who was returning to power and suggested that Mr. Potter was touched in the head. Then, just a few months later, the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge and a dozen other officers of the Ministry, personally witnessed You-Know-Who, apparently alive and well, making an escape from the Ministry of Magic. Full apologies to Harry Potter were made in the Daily Prophet, and the Ministry of Magic when into full alert in the search for You-Know-Who and any of his Death Eaters.**

**Now, the Ministry follows policies that are suspiciously similar to the philosophies of the Dark Lord, including the prosecution and incarceration of any muggle-born witch and wizard found carrying a wand, the persecution of anyone speaking unfavorably of the Ministry, numerous brutal murders and disappearances of any opponents of the Ministry and the list goes on. So when Harry Potter breaks into the Ministry of Magic, he is, of course, the bad guy, a murderer and possibly a dark wizard? Coincidence? I think not. It is clear that Harry Potter is the hero that we have been waiting for and that Ministry will stop at nothing to slander him.**

George slid the magazine to the middle of the table, offering it to anyone that might like to read it themselves.

Magellan nodded and said, "Yes, I think that article looks at the incident much more objectively, although I think I could have down without the whole conspiracy theory tone of the writing. Unfortunately, it didn't clarify anything."

Fred, for his part, managed to find Potterwatch, but only as the show was ending, just in time to get the password for the next show (Fawkes). Getting up from the radio and coming back into the dining room, he said, "Well, I think we already know that the two with Harry were Ron and Hermione."

George said, "Mum, would kill Ron if she knew what he was up to."

Fred shook his head. "She knows he's with Harry. If she didn't know before, she certainly knows now."

Vernon said, "Well, I for one, think I am lucky to be shot of him. This sort of skulduggery in a situation like this is totally unacceptable. All it does is bring trouble to law abiding citizens and respectable members of the community."

Petunia said, "I don't think we can make any conclusions now. Besides, we are beyond association with Harry now. There's no excuse why we can't come to a reasonable accommodation with these people."

Hestia laughed and said, "You're welcome to try."

There is a phenomenon whereby some vague instance in the near future is assured, but it is not known what it is or when that instance arrives, but it is not welcome, and bad feeling aplenty accompanies it. One can sit and wait diligently until it seems it will never come, but the moment one's vigilance abates, fate strolls through the open door. Perhaps that is a bit dire, but it is how the Dursleys and their associates felt at this moment. Potter's goading of the Ministry could have only one effect. After all, it is usually the case that when the government is embarrassed in a shocking and public manner, one invariably sees an increase in the activity of the authorities. The Dursley's were of blood relation to Harry Potter. There would be a visit, and they were not a low priority. In the event of a Potter incident, the Death Eaters had a list of people they would be paying a visit to, and the Dursleys, as well as members of the Order, were very near the top of that list. Though some in Magellan's household may have denied it, none doubted it.

Sure enough, around midday, there was a knock at the door. Of course, Magellan had no wish to repeat the incident that resulted in Vera's torture. He asked, "Who is it?"

An unknown voice said, "Ministry business."

This time, instead of stalling, Magellan wasted no time getting the door open. He accidentally left the chain and when the door jarred to a stop abruptly, he cursed, apologized, and unfastened the chain. A masked Death Eater leisurely strolled across the threshold. She-for there was no doubt it was a woman-was of small stature. She was a waif of a woman. There was no arrogance in her bearing. This woman was efficient, calculating, and logical. She turned her face up and the mask had only one eyeslit. The eye was a brilliant blue, piercing and not unfeeling. This eye viewed the world through the lens of deep experience. This eye had stories to tell.

The eye turned across the room taking in her surroundings. It lingered for a moment on the Weasley twins, a hint of humor flashing in it. The eye scrutinized each of the Dursleys, passed over Vera only long enough to mark her features, passed Hestia, and went back to Magellan.

Vernon said, "Madam, if I may-"

The Death Eater raised a hand and said, "You may as well bay to the moon, Mr. Dursley. I am not unsympathetic to your position, but there is nothing you can say that will improve your current situation, or that of your family's. Silence and patience will serve you best." Agnes looked back and forth from Vernon to the Death Eater, but said nothing.

Magellan said, "We don't know where Harry Potter is, and he hasn't been here."

The Death Eater removed her hood and mask revealing a woman with one of those ageless faces. She could have been any age, but there were some lines along her jaw and brow that told the truth, that she was well into her forties. She had black hair and her other eye was covered with a black eyepatch with a double cross upon it. A long, star-shaped scar came out of it and radiated back to her ear, which was misshapen, clearly having been badly cut up some time in her youth. Other than that, she had a gothic beauty about her, her skin a bit pale and her face heart shaped. "I see some of you are curious. I received this injury, when I was eighteen, the year before Harry Potter fulfilled the prophecy. I believe you are all familiar with the curse that took my eye as it is the same curse Agnes took Vera's fingers with. It is also the curse that claimed George Weasley's ear." She approached them all so that she stood within the circle they created. "I suppose then that it has occurred to none of you that Mr. Potter could consider this a possible refuge? Hermione Granger accidentally apparated with Travers in tow to an address; Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Obviously they abandoned it because when Travers saw the address, the unplottable charm and all of the other magic protecting it failed. We found evidence of Potter's stay, a few items of interest, including the plans they used to invade the Ministry. Do you have any idea what Potter was after?"

Magellan said, "Could we at least know your name?"

The Death Eater looked up in surprise. "Oh, I am sorry. I have forgotten my manners. I am Persephone Raven." She turned to Agnes and said, "You may leave."

Agnes clearly didn't like that. "You alone? What if they decide to resist?"

"Oh, Agnes, the Ministry watches their every move. Plus, I am the Dark Lord's personal assassin. I sincerely doubt anything untoward will happen." She turned to Magellan and his household. "We're all just having a friendly discussion."

Agnes nodded and stepped out the door, closing it behind her. Persephone pointed her wand at it and said, "Colloportus," a stream of glittery light infused the door's lock, and then, "muffliato." She put her wand away, pulled another one from her folds, one that was very familiar. She approached Vera and handed it to her. "I recommend you find a better hiding place in the future. Eleven inches, holly. Has a very nice feel. I wonder what the core is." She turned back and returned to the middle of room. "Professor Dumbledore played his cards far too close to his chest. Do any of you know what he sent Harry after?"

Magellan said in an even voice, "We don't know. Dumbledore never let on that he had intended anything for Harry. Our only hint was how much time he was spending with him. Harry won't tell anyone what transpired in those meetings either." Magellan eyed her curiously and with deep incredulity said, "Would you have us believe that a Death Eater, especially a secret hand of the Dark Lord, would be on our side?"

Persophone smiled. "I would have you believe nothing. I am simply doing my job, not just as a Death Eater, but as an auror of the Ministry."

"And yet you would turn a blind eye to a muggle-born."

"Why should it be my job to torture people who have done nothing except exist?"

"I couldn't say. I think it's wonderful. You're awfully charitable for a Death Eater."

"Given the current climate, if I were in your position, I wouldn't be questioning the charity of an enemy."

"So what other advice do you have for us?"

"Surely as a serpent hides below, a lion will stand with his pride. I would expect nothing less of a Gryffindor. That secret experimental surveillance device that Harry took was Mad-Eye's magical eye. Undoubtedly Harry thought he might give Mad-Eye some kind of final peace. The locket he stole was none other than the locket of Slytherin. That bloated cow, Dolores was going around saying the S stood for Selwin. Does anyone know the whereabouts of Ronald Weasley?"

Fred and George simultaneously said, "Sure do." Fred said, "He's at home," and George said, "with spattergroit," and both said, "poor fellow."

With a touch of irritation, Persephone said, "There are plenty of Death Eaters thicker than mud porridge. My wits are significantly sharper. If you think a ghoul in a ridiculous costume is going to fool me, you are sadly mistaken. Once more. Your brother. Where is he?"

Fred and George looked ahead stonily. Fred said, "We told all we know." George said, "He's at home," Fred said, "sick," George said, "Spattergroit," and Fred finished, "It's sad, really."

Persephone gave them one last hard stare before she spun on heel and said, "Does anyone know the whereabouts of Hermione Granger?"

Magellan said, "I don't know the girl personally. Presumably, if she's not at school, she's with her family."

"Her family have gone missing, all signs are they fled."

"Well, there you have it."

She looked around the room in apparent frustration. "You know, you Order folk really have it down. You can put together a plan and carry it out across the country and you break it up amongst yourselves so well that not one of you know what happened, if anything. That is a tough feat to manage. What was your little bit of the plan?"

"Give the Dursley's a safe place to stay."

"That was it?"

"Implicitly."

"Implicitly? There was nothing else?" She turned to George and Fred, "What about you? You went to school with Harry. What was your part of the plan?"

Simultaneously, George and Fred said, "Don't know what you're talking about."

She had a way of looking through them that was quite striking. Dudley felt as if his mind were on display for her to peruse. "Dudley, did he never discuss any of his plans with you? Possibly, about magical items that he might use to destroy the Dark Lord?"

Dudley said, "We never really talked."

"Dudley, he was your cousin. He was blood. Family is more important than anything, surely you spoke to him once in awhile."

"No, we never got along."

Persephone sighed and said, "Shame. That's what my family was like. I only ever had my mother and when my uncle found out about me, he worked hard to turn me against her. You shouldn't let that happen." She turned to Magellan and said, "If you do hear from Harry, you know what to do."

"And what about you? I suppose we'll be hearing more from you."

Persephone smiled. "My dear, Magellan, not only are the Dursley's here, but the Ministry has a special interest in you. I'm your personal watchdog. I will always be near. Watch out for the Fury's. They're looking for an excuse to take Vera. If you wish to speak among yourselves, make sure you cast muffliato." She disapparated and Magellan did as she suggested, casting his own anti-eavesdropping charm.

Everyone looked to Magellan with questioning eyes, even Vernon Dursley. Magellan looked at each of them in turn. "It's rare to meet one that's civil, but they do exist."

Hestia said, "Right. Still, the Dark Lord's personal assassin? There's someone I never want to stand toe to toe with."

"She raises some questions. You-Know-Who would be very displeased with her if he knew she let a muggle-born and two undesirables go unchecked. She also said something rather disturbing."

Dudley asked, "And that would be?"

"The serpent and the lion..." He looked back to the Weasley twins. "Do you know anything about the fate of Kingsley Shacklebolt?"

Fred said, "He was found out using You-Know-Who's name. Snatchers figured only Order members would do that so he had to take the Prime Minister and make a run for it."

Magellan said, "They'll be watching the Floo Network. We can't be seen making contact with known fugitives. There's something off about Persephone Raven, and I want to know what it is." He went to a closet and pulled out a sleek, metallic broomstick.

George looked around with interest. "Is that an old Silver Arrow?"

Fred said, "Why don't you just apparate?"

Magellan smiled and said, "I'd rather like to get there in one piece, thank you, Fred." With that, he disappeared out the door.

Dudley joined George on the couch while Vera began to pace apprehensively. Vernon went into the study and Petunia began to clean the dining room. Hestia watched the door.


	8. The Second Fury

As the day wore on, frayed nerves became all the more evident. During Magellan's absence, there was little activity or conversation. It seemed that Vernon had actually learned not to irritate Hestia, though Dudley doubted that that particular ceasefire would last for any significant amount of time. It was several hours before everyone's nerves calmed. Who knew how long Magellan would be, especially if he was seeking an auror in hiding?

Anxiety rose in Dudley's chest as the day wore on. Although the house was a pleasant enough temperature, he was sweating with anxiety. He wanted to tell himself that his fears were irrational, but he knew that they weren't and profound danger lurked just outside the door. He couldn't accept the fact that he was truly facing his worse fear. Having been a bully all of his life, he was suddenly the victim. Still, he would never forget what the dementors showed him, could never forget. Hestia, instead of disappearing somewhere into the house as she usually did, she stayed where everyone was. She admonished Fred and George not to go elsewhere and it seemed that Vernon and Petunia were interested in being anywhere else. Vera paced the room nervously.

Dudley went to the window and looked out the curtains. He couldn't see anyone, but that didn't mean that nobody was out there. He didn't like being a prisoner, he didn't like being intimidated, and Fred and George's hands came down on his shoulders, he shouted in panic.

"Take it easy there, mate," said George.

Fred said, "You're certainly wound up tight."

Dudley said, "So what do you want then?"

"My, aren't we suspicious?" asked George. "Really, my dear brother and I, we were talking amongst ourselves, and we were just thinking that you're a man with a problem."

Fred dropped his voice so that only Dudley could hear. "Anyone can see you're sweet on lovely Vera, and it's obvious she's giving you strong consideration."

George, his voice also conspiratorially low, said, "Now here you are a powerless muggle trapped in an intolerable situation with no way out."

Fred said, "Now, we have history, the four of us. Vera is one of our best customers."

George said, "And you have helped us to test our product."

Dudley felt the heat rise in his face at the indignity. "Right, you mean that toffee that made my tongue grow? Testing product you say?"

Fred rolled his eyes. "You take things far too personally. Most people would be sensitive to the fact you, who at the time were trying to lose weight, wouldn't be able to resist a sweet, even if it was on your mother's unnaturally clean floor."

George put an arm around Dudley. "But we are men of vision and we saw an opportunity to advance our chosen career paths."

"Water under the bridge, my stocky friend. You see we've branched out. We are no longer limited to edible gag treats. We have whole lines of powders with various magical effects, one of which you have already sampled."

"Clothing with defensive charms woven into the fabric."

"Love potions, revulsion charms, obscene toys; everything the budding prankster could want, but as we've already said, certain elements within the magical community have brought it to our attention that our products and talents could have much more practical applications."

Dudley shook his head. "You're winding me up."

George said, "Are we? We hadn't noticed."

Fred shook his head. "Seriously, we've got magic. You don't. Our joke products are the best way to give you an edge."

"And you know it."

They had a point. If it was all as easy to use as their Whirling Whoozy powder, that might just give everyone in the household a tool they could use against the Death Eaters.

"Now, if you'll remember," said Fred, "we brought quite a bit of luggage. Not all of it was clothes, and we've seen what Vera took out of her room. She's got quite a bit of our products."

George said, "I'll tell you, we know our store and if we didn't have the Ministry bearing down on it, we can guarantee that no Death Eater would have made it halfway down the first aisle by the time we were done with them."

Fred pulled a small brown confection from his pocket and said, "This is what you sampled; our ton-tongue toffee. There's also the Whirling Whoozy powder, but what Vera bought in large supply was our Peruvian Instant Darkness powder. Dead useful that. She also bought two of our own specially designed invisibility cloaks."

"That girl knows the value of stealth."

Dudley looked uncertainly from one twin to the other. "So, are you saying that you have some product available."

Fred said, "Well...maybe."

George said, "We're not exactly the charitable sort. Still, money is probably in short supply, but I'm sure we can come to a mutually beneficent agreement."

"Aha!" Vernon's roar made all three boys jump. He grabbed each twin by the shoulder. "You didn't think I could hear, did you? What illicit activities are you trying to involve my son in, you scurrilous rapscallions?"

"Oi! What are you on about, then?" shouted George.

"You and those bloody toffees! You and that bloody yellow powder! What kind of fool do you take me for?"

Fred said, "How many kinds are there?"

Vernon suddenly released the twins and started fanning his hands as if they had been burnt. Vernon looked to Dudley and said, "Dudders, what were these nefarious defrauders trying to get you into?"

Dudley said, "I don't know, they wouldn't bloody get to the point."

George said, "We were getting to it."

Fred stood upright and squared his shoulders. "I resent being called a defrauder. We're businessmen with a genuine product. The thing is, these Death Eaters are watching us as if we were some kind of enemies of the state, all of us."

George nodded towards his brother and squared his shoulders as well. "That's right. The longer we stay here, the more likely we are to have a bad accident with these Death Eaters around."

Hestia jumped up and bade them all be quiet. Pointing her wand at the door, she whispered, "Muffliato." She came up stood by Vernon. "What are you on about? We can't just leave without being seen."

"Well, we say 'What they can't see won't bother them'." Fred crossed his arms and his expression dared Hestia to disagree.

Hestia said, "Oh, and how are you going to manage that, then? They'll notice anyone leaving with a disillusionment charm. You know they'll be looking for it and if hide the Dursleys with magic, they'll be able to take us in for violation of statute of secrecy."

Vera said, "As if they couldn't already."

"They can't. They haven't witnessed us using magic in front of the Dursleys, but if we use magic to make them invisible, we'll be caught red-handed."

Vernon huffed up and said, "It'll be a cold day in Hell before I let you use any of your magic tricks on me anyway."

Everyone turned to look at the twins, who were still smirking at their ingenuity. "So," said Fred, "it's illegal to make them invisible, but it's not illegal to give them invisibility cloaks. No magic involved."

Hestia snorted and said, "You need to disillusion the cloak."

George smiled. "Not if it's made from demiguise hair."

Vera said, "You're still talking about taking an awful risk."

Fred said, "Well, if we have to fight-"

"Then we have to. It's not a smart idea to just go looking for trouble."

The twins suddenly affected mortified expressions. Fred clutched at his heart. "Are you suggesting that we, that is to say, my brother and I, not look for trouble?"

George shook his head. "It's unnatural, it is."

Dudley said, "Sooner or later we're going to have to fight."

Everyone fell silent, and now, even Petunia looked as if she might get involved in the discourse. Vernon's eyebrows went up and his mustache began to flutter. Hestia and Vera both regarded Dudley as if he had suddenly sprouted horns. The twins briefly looked at him, then crossed their arms and turned to everyone else, self-satisfied.

"I mean, you're all right," said Dudley. "We shouldn't just go looking for trouble, but it's become clear that sooner or later these people are going to bring trouble to us and we have to be ready for it."

Hestia looked like she was trying to come up with response to that. She finally said, "We can't just fight them. They have the whole weight of the Ministry behind them. That being the case, I doubt they'll just leave us be much longer. They could have carted us to the Ministry any time they wanted."

Vera said, "But they won't." Now everyone turned to her. "They want hostages. They don't need me. Sooner or later, they'll get rid of me, but they'll keep the Dursleys."

Vernon barked, "Why? What could they possibly want with us?"

"Dudley and Petunia are related to Harry. It doesn't matter how he feels about them; if they're in danger, he'll come. It's his nature."

The Dursley's took a moment to digest that. The idea of being an actual hostage had never occurred to any of them. Vernon's overreactions over the years seemed petty in the face of such a reality. Dudley had always been rather dull. His school grades had never measured up. His parents always glossed over them, but what did he really know? He didn't draw. He didn't play a musical instrument. He couldn't sing. Arithmetic was an unbreakable riddle. History was a mystery. He was overweight and would have been more so if he hadn't directed so much of his energy at not only beating people up, but learning how to do it professionally. Now, he was trying his hand on an ancient science that required nearly all of the skills he didn't have? What was he thinking?

He knew the answer to that. He was a failure and was tired of being one. He'd keep at it even if it killed him, but it was all for nothing if he was dead, and that was just the way the Death Eater's were going to make him and his family. If anything, they had worse in mind for Vera, and he didn't want that to happen.

Dudley said, "Then we can escape. We can sneak past them." He and Vera exchanged looks.

Hestia said, "Really? How?"

Vera said, "There's tunnels leading out of the house down into town. There are explosives too. They were left there to blow the tunnels if anyone ever followed."

Vernon's eyes bulged and veins throbbed out of his forehead. "You mean we're sitting on a keg of explosives?"

Dudley said, "They're not near the house."

Vernon closed his eyes and took deep breaths. "Well, you have clearly disregarded my wishes that you stay away from this girl. No matter. In retrospect, I suppose it was unavoidable." His face was still red, and he clearly hadn't calmed down and now it was deepening to purple. "We should have left when we had the chance! I don't know who any of you people think you are, but we're a simple suburban family. We aren't acclimated to this type of environment."

Petunia ran up and said, "Vernon, please calm down. Your blood pressure...!"

George and Fred looked at each other in alarm. Fred said, "Look mate, you really need to calm down. Going to give yourself a heart attack, you will."

George said, "Look, we'll fetch you some tea. We'll sit you down in that nice plush chair..."

Vernon's fists clenched and he said, "And how can I relax when there are crazed murderers running around just outside waiting to do who only knows what? We're unarmed and helpless. We've nowhere to go."

"Somnambulus!" shouted Hestia. Her wand was pointed at Vernon.

Vernon immediately ended his tirade and looked as if he were going to fall. Fred, George, and Hestia worked to get him to the couch. By the time he was there, he was sound asleep.

"What was that?" asked Petunia.

Hestia gasped from the exertion and said, "A sleeping charm. I'm sorry. It was the only way I could think to calm him down."

"I wish I could do that," said Petunia to everyone's surprise.

"He'll wake up soon enough. No loud noises please or he'll wake up now. I prefer him like this, thank you very much."

Magellan didn't return that evening. Vernon woke up, unaware that he had been bewitched, convinced that he fainted. He followed the twins advice and sat in the large easy chair with a cup of tea that the twins had added a special ingredient to. Vernon stayed calm for the rest of the day, choosing not to interact with anyone. Indeed, with Magellan's absence, he was the only one able to sleep. When he awoke, he returned to the chair and asked the twins for more of that delightfully soothing tea. The twins tried to find Potterwatch but Lee was silent today. Potterwatch didn't run everyday anyway, they reminded each other.

If they thought they had a break from their watchers, they were mistaken. The Death Eaters had chosen to be silent, but another woman, in blue velvet with ruby buttons appeared the living, startling everyone except Vernon, who was pleased with his tea. She looked like Agnes Fury, except her tattoos were different. Where Agnes had symbols tattooed about upon her bald head, this woman had a winged bird tattooed upon her head like a headdress. Her fingers were unnaturally long. Observing each of them, she walked around the room in a circle.

Finally, she stopped in front of Hestia. "Ordinarily, you wouldn't be meeting me, but I have a question that I don't have an answer to."

Hestia drew herself up to full height, glancing around the room, she said, "I'll answer as best I can."

"Very good. Where is Magellan Haydn?"

Hestia went visibly pale and she gulped. "I don't know. He left without telling us where he was going."

Serena's eyes narrowed. "Did he, now. Did he say why he left?"

"Persephone Raven. None of us know who she is. He left because he wanted to learn more about her."

"And you don't know where he went?"

"No, ma'am."

"Or who we went to talk to? Are you sure you are answering absolutely to the best of your ability?" Serena held Hestia's gaze for several long moments. "I'm sure Magellan told you all about me." She turned to Vera. "Don't forget, I have a mudblood I can have all kinds of fun with."

Dudley said, "He didn't say a word about where he was going, except that he had an idea and that he wanted to get there in one piece."

Serena looked at Dudley sideways and said, "He didn't say a name?"

"No, just a hunch."

Serena smiled and said, "You don't like me being so close to this mudblood, do you?" One hand grabbed Vera by the nape of the neck and the other pointed a wand between her eyes. "Just imagine what I could do to her. You know, me and my other sister would have a contest to see how loud we could make someone scream. The louder scream, the higher the points, but if he or she couldn't scream from the pain, well, whoever accomplished that was the undisputed winner. We did it for years during the first war. I perfected the technique. I managed to develop a way to make a person feel anything I wanted her to feel. All I needed was a wand and a well thought out spell, cast at a gland right between the eyes. Now, I don't think you're being honest. Let's see how honest you are when I've ripped your girlfriend's mind out of her skull."

Serena looked Vera right in the eyes, so she didn't see as Dudley picked up the coffee table and smashed into her with it. The table top split as it came down on her and she smashed under it. She threw it off of her and raised her wand at Dudley, "Avada Kedavra!" only to find that it had snapped in half. She looked down at it in disbelief. "How dare you...filthy muggle! How dare you touch me!"

"Serena!" The door was open and Agnes pointed her wand inside. "Come out now."

"This muggle-"

"Is not to be touched by order of the Ministry. You have no business being here, now come out."

Serena left sulkily. She glared at Dudley and back at her own wand, clearly distraught. Under Agnes' cover, she left. When the door closed, Vernon frowned and said, "Oh, I guess the show's over."

Fred turned to Hestia and said, "You see? This is exactly what we're talking about. Sooner or later, we're going to have to act."

Hestia looked to Vera, who was still frozen where Serena had cornered her. She then turned to Dudley and said, "That was very brave. Very unwise...but very brave. Plus, you've broken her wand. They're apart of us, they are. She'll get a new one, and she'll be waiting for an opportunity to use it on you."

Vera finally ran over and hugged Dudley, and started to cry in his shoulder.

Hestia nodded and said, "You're right. We need to act. When Magellan gets back, we'll discuss our options."


End file.
